Cannabis survey

WEST Australian researchers are surveying people who grow cannabis as part of the first global online survey of small-time cannabis growers.

National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) researchers at Curtin University are conducting the anonymous Australian Cannabis Cultivation study.

They are exploring how and why people grow cannabis, including purely for recreation, if it's for medical reasons, whether cultivators are growing for personal use or profit, and perceptions about the risks of getting caught.

The study is the Australian arm of a global survey already being conducted in Canada, the US, Belgium, Finland and Denmark, with the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand expected to launch the survey soon. Cannabis growers in any other country will also be able to take part.

Participants must be at least 18 years old and have grown cannabis at least once. The survey takes about 15 minutes, is completed entirely online and is anonymous.

Australian survey co-ordinator Monica Barratt says even though using, growing and supplying cannabis is prohibited in most countries, cannabis remains the most widely-used illicit drug across the world.

"Over the past few decades, domestic cannabis cultivation has increased in several countries," Dr Barratt said.

"This survey will look at what's happening in Australia ,as well as differences across borders. Much of the existing research on cannabis cultivation is based on detections and arrests by police, but that doesn't actually tell us the whole story about the people who are growing cannabis.

"This survey will help fill that gap because we expect that many small-time cannabis growers won't have ever been apprehended by the law for growing cannabis."

To access the survey, go to www.worldwideweed.nl.

NDRI is based at Curtin University's Health Research Campus in Perth and is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvement Grants Fund.

http://www.inmycommunity.com.au 10/10/2012