Domestic Cannabis Research Articles

Small Scale Domestic Cannabis Cultivation: An Anonymous Web Survey among 659 Cannabis Cultivators in Belgium

The shift to (inter)regional production, trade, and domestic cultivation has become an irreversible international trend. Until now, the focus of most empirical work has been on large-scale, commercially-oriented and professionally-organized segments of the cannabis industry, often based on police data and on the perspective of law enforcement agencies. This article presents some significant findings from a large-scale study on a less visible and less studied segment of the market, i.e. small-scale cultivators, based on an anonymous web survey among 659 cannabis cultivators. The article discusses the patterns of cultivation, some technical aspects of growing operations, (dis)advantages of cannabis cultivation, and perceived quality and strength of homegrown cannabis. The author argues that small-scale or amateur home growers constitute a significant segment of the cannabis market, both in a quantitative and in a qualitative perspective, and points to important differences between this sample obtained online and those obtained through traditional methods in other studies.

The case for small-scale domestic cannabis cultivation

The shift to (inter)regional production, trade and domestic cultivation has become an irreversible international trend. Until now, the focus of most empirical work has been on large-scale, commercially oriented and professionally organized segments of the cannabis industry, often based on police data and on the perspective of law enforcement agencies. This paper offers a review of recent Dutch- language research that focuses on cannabis cultivation. Empirical studies were identified through literature searches using relevant search terms and Web of Science, Elin, Social Science Research Network and Elsevier ScienceDirect. The paper presents the main findings of Dutch and Belgian empirical work on the factors that stimulated the import substitution process on the cannabis market, aspects related to quality and potency issues, typologies of cannabis growers, and (unintended) effects of pursued policies. In the light of this (selective) review the author offers some commentary and analysis concerning the claims made by different stakeholders, and concludes with some reflections on future research and on policy implications. The author outlines the importance of small-scale, independent or ideologically oriented cannabis cultivation as an underresearched market segment. The author also makes a case for greater toleration of small-scale cannabis cultivation, to secure the least worst of cannabis markets.