DENVER (MainStreet)  Applications are not exactly flooding into Dixie Elixirs as the company seeks product testers for its marijuana-infused beverages and edibles.

Also See: Marijuana Entrepreneur Is Blazing a Trail in Big Business

Joe Hodas, the company's chief marketing officer, kicked off the search with a contest on social media pages a couple weeks ago, but so far only about two dozen people have entered.

It's not a job, but it is a mission, and a chance to be part of marijuana history. "It does not pay anything," Hodas said. "It's just your time and expertise in exchange for free products."

Hodas, who worked for Frontier Airlines as well as for a prominent Denver public relations firm, turned heads when he first joined Dixie Elixirs.

"The first thing people ask when you tell them you work for Dixie is, 'Oh, do you need any product testers?'" he said.

He decided to channel that common, but usually jocular reaction into a contest.

Hodas announced the contest on his personal Facebook page on March 21. Then on March 26 he wrote: "Come on.... I posted about this once and I didn't get even one comment...smart assed or otherwise. Surely someone has something to say about this, no? Anyone gonna apply?"

At first, contestants were invited to post 90-second videos on Dixie's webpage: contest.dixieelixirs.com.

"We did not get as many entries as we hoped so we began to accept written entries," Hodas said.

Ever so slowly, Dixie's contest page is filling up with thoughtful entries and people voting on them. Visitors to the page will likely determine the winners, Hodas said, but there is at least one caveat.

"The voting is really designed to surface the best submission," he said, "but let's say someone posted something like, 'I get stoned all day and I give it to my dog,' and everybody thought that was really funny and they voted it up. That's not necessarily the person we want to have in this role."

The search for product testers is somewhat of a marketing ploy, but it is also an incremental development in the legal marijuana business. As one of the largest companies in the industry, Dixie makes a wide array of products and like any large consumer products manufacturer it will ultimately need to gather data from outsiders as it develops its line.

Dixie's products include sodas, candies, drops and even topical oils and lotions. It will need consumer insights into all of these products as the industry evolves.

Many of the entries on Dixie's contest page read as professionally as any cover letter. The entry that has drawn the most votes so far says:

"My tolerance is high which allows me to be an effective tester for you. I am well versed in the medical and recreational benefits of cannabis. As a foodie, I look forward to tasting your creations!"

Here's what some of the others say:

"I have an MA in Psychology and a keen understanding of the experimental process. I'm skilled and experienced in writing up and explaining results in an interesting yet informative fashion. My understanding of psychology and brain chemistry allows me to look at the results of a product from more than the point of view of just how it makes you feel."

"After 30 yrs of hiding behind closed doors to enjoy a little cannabis this would be an amazing opportunity to bring it out in the open. I am a 12 year Navy veteran who was honorably discharged for a positive urinalysis for THC."

"I have been using cannabis since the 8th grade. I will be 60 in June, so that has been many a moon."

"I have a PhD in Pharmacology, and I've always loved cannabis."

"I have a dream, that one day, I shall find a job where all employees are treated equally. The 'best new job title on earth' does not even begin to explain it all. No credentials needed, just a constant appetite. Sign me up and I'll eat whatever u got ..."

The small number of entries to date is surprising compared to the turnout at a marijuana job fair that Dixie's competitor, O.penVAPE sponsored last month. There, more than 1,200 people lined up for perhaps 150 available jobs.

Also See: Marijuana Job Fair Overwhelmed By Long Lines of Job Hunters

While Dixie's product tester gigs are not exactly jobs, they are an entry into an industry that a lot of people have expressed excitement about. And free weed? Don't more people want access to free weed?

There's still time to enter the contest, and it may result in up to three new product testers at Dixie, but Hodas is evaluating whether this has been an effective marketing strategy.

"We're still learning," Hodas said. "Something like this float well in other industries, but perhaps this isn't the right thing for marijuana enthusiasts."

--Written by Al Lewis for MainStreet