Dear WeedWeek readers,

First of all, thanks for reading! The newsletter is a lot of fun to put together, but the best part is knowing that so many of you enjoy it. I'm very grateful for your feedback and support. 

As WeedWeek's audience grows, we've been thinking about ways the newsletter can generate revenue without compromising editorial independence. So, in addition to advertising, here's an experiment we're going to try.  

One aspect of the cannabis world that WeedWeek does not cover is the myriad products and services designed for the cannabis user. I don't have well-informed opinions on the best papers or vaporizers, but we're going to find someone, who does. Let's call him or her, The Critic.

The Critic is going to get bombarded with free stuff: smoking accessories, clothing, apps, who knows what else. From this pile of swag The Critic will select a small number of products and services to recommend to WeedWeek readers in very short reviews, one or two a week. 

Adrienne Nascimento who handles WeedWeek's sales and marketing will then attempt to negotiate special deals for WeedWeek readers, and WeedWeek will receive a percentage. In cases where Adrienne can't reach an agreement with the company, the critic's reviews will still publish, with a link to the product. 

This process will occur without my involvement, and will have no influence my editorial coverage. So if The Critic likes your vaporizer, but a reporter somewhere finds out that it has a tendency to spontaneously combust, that will be noted elsewhere in the newsletter.

My hope is that like the newsletter, the product selection will be eclectic and wide-ranging.

The selected brands will not have control over The Critic's review either. While The Critic will only recommend favorite products, s/he'll still be able to say if the grip is unappealing, it's a bit pricy or whatever. 

In all we think this is a way to maintain WeedWeek's editorial independence while also providing product recommendations that readers will appreciate.

The first step is to find The Critic. Anyone interested should both know what they're talking about and have an editorial sensibility compatible with WeedWeek's. Does this sound like you or someone you know? Prove it in an email to  weedweeknews@gmail.com. 

Applicants must be U.S. residents who can legally purchase cannabis in their state of residence. Payment, besides mountains of swag, will be minimal, at least at first.

Bye,