Media Release: Calling cannabis home growers - have your say
Participate in a confidential online survey on cannabis growing
Surprised by NZ’s decision on legalising cannabis? Want to contribute to research that aims to inform cannabis regulation in Australia and around the world?
Researchers are seeking Australian small-scale cannabis growers to anonymously share their experiences, motivations and views on policies. More than 3500 growers from 17 countries have already taken part in the online survey.
The confidential online survey – available at https://worldwideweed.nl/ – aims to better understand patterns of domestic cannabis growing, including the characteristics of cannabis growers, reasons for growing, methods of growing, and experience with the criminal justice system – and how these factors differ across borders.
Researchers at Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) are conducting the Australian arm of the international survey on cannabis cultivation, with colleagues from RMIT and UNSW.
“The findings of our previous growers survey in 2012-13 challenged misleading stereotypes about cannabis growers and informed research-based submissions to reviews of laws and policies regarding cannabis in a number of countries, including Australia,” NDRI’s Professor Simon Lenton said.
“For example, most Australian participants in the first survey were men with a median age of 35, and 70% were employed. They typically reported growing four to six cannabis plants, with 41% growing outdoors, 27% indoors and 32% both.
“Most Australian respondents grew cannabis for personal use and to share with friends, rather than to profit from selling it. They wanted to avoid contact with criminals, but for around one-fifth cultivation had led to contact with the police.
“Just over half said they were growing cannabis for medicinal purposes. Almost all respondents thought that if cannabis was legalised there should be regulations around who is permitted to grow the drug and how many plants should be allowed.
“A lot has happened in cannabis policy internationally and in Australia since the previous survey, including legalisation of medicinal cannabis nationally and personal cannabis use in the ACT. We need as many cannabis growers as possible to participate in this survey so we can get an updated picture of their views and experiences to inform considerations of cannabis policy in Australia and elsewhere.”
Cannabis growers can complete the anonymous survey at https://worldwideweed.nl/
More information about the study can be found here, or follow the study on Facebook and Twitter
Contact and comment:
Dr Jodie Grigg, NDRI, Curtin University, Perth
(Questions on current 2020-21 study)
Mobile: 0411 572 131
Email: j.grigg@curtin.edu.au
Professor Simon Lenton, NDRI, Curtin University, Perth
(Questions on previous study findings and general cannabis policy)
Mobile: 0417 957 910
Email: s.lenton@curtin.edu.au
Dr Monica Barratt, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne
Mobile: 0407 778 938
Email: monica.barratt@rmit.edu.au
Media contact
Vic Rechichi
Mobile: 0414 682 055
Email: ndri@curtin.edu.au
Posted on: 18 Nov 2020
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