title: Global patterns of domestic cannabis cultivation: sample characteristics and patterns of growing across eleven countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article aims to provide an overview of: demographic characteristics; experiences with growing cannabis; methods and scale of growing operations; reasons for growing; personal use of cannabis and other drugs; participation in cannabis and other drug markets; contacts with the criminal justice system for respondents to an online survey about cannabis cultivation drawn from eleven countries (N=6530). Important similarities and differences between the national samples recruited will be discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper utilizes data from the online web survey of predominantly 'small-scale' cannabis cultivators in eleven countries conducted by the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium (GCCRC). Here we focus primarily on descriptive statistics to highlight key similarities and differences across the different national samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall there was a great deal of similarity across countries in terms of: demographic characteristics; experiences with growing cannabis; methods and scale of growing operations; reasons for growing; use of cannabis and other drugs; participation in cannabis and other drug markets, and; contacts with the criminal justice system. In particular, we can recognise that a clear majority of those small-scale cannabis cultivators who responded to our survey are primarily motivated for reasons other than making money from cannabis supply and have minimal involvement in drug dealing or other criminal activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These growers generally come from 'normal' rather than 'deviant' backgrounds. Some differences do exist between the samples drawn from different countries suggesting that local factors (political, geographical, cultural, etc.) may have some influence on how small-scale cultivators operate, although differences in recruitment strategies in different countries may also account for some differences observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences, London South Bank University, UK. Electronic address: potterg@lsbu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.affiliation: National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Drug Policy Modelling Program, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Monica J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barratt
authors.affiliation: School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Emergency Management, California State University, Long Beach, USA.
authors.forename: Aili
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malm
authors.affiliation: School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Canada.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.affiliation: Bonger Institute of Criminology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blok
authors.affiliation: Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Drug Research, Department of Criminology, Penal Law and Social Law, University of Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Decorte
authors.affiliation: Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Vibeke Asmussen
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Department of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland.
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hakkarainen
authors.affiliation: School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Research, University of Kent, UK.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lenton
authors.affiliation: Department of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perälä
authors.affiliation: Centre for Drug Research, Department of Education, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Werse
authors.affiliation: Bonger Institute of Criminology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marije
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wouters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D002188:Cannabis / Q000254:growth & development*; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D057237:Criminals / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D064423:Drug Trafficking / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D038622:Internationality; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009656:North America; D011050:Policy Making; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids
keywords: Cannabis cultivation; Drug markets; International comparative research; Online survey