Hidden and uninterested populations: methodological insights and unresolved issues from the study of Cannabis Social Clubs
Authors:
Mafalda Pardal, Melissa Bone, Tom Decorte, Rosario Queirolo, Òscar Parés, Julia Johansson, Eliana Álvarez, and Lorena Repetto.
Journal:
Methodological Innovations
Year:
2020
About the study
This article, published in the journal Methodological Innovations, reflects on the research experiences of the authors in studying Cannabis Social Clubs, providing insights for research in this area and within criminology and socio-legal studies more broadly.
The aim of the paper was to examine the authors’ approaches with regard to the recruitment of participants and research design, identifying good practices but also discussing what appear to have been the less successful strategies.
This study about Cannabis Social Clubs is focused on research conducted in different countries, with different legal frameworks, providing an opportunity for a comparative and more in-depth critical consideration of what might be helpful ways of reaching hard-to-reach populations.
Abstract
Background: Cannabis Social Clubs are typically non-profit associations established by adult users of cannabis, which produce and distribute cannabis among their members. Such associations can be found in several European countries and beyond, but with exception of Uruguay, they are illegal or otherwise operate at the margins of domestic drug control legislation, at risk for law enforcement detection. We have conducted several individual and collaborative studies on Cannabis Social Clubs and their key actors (e.g. Cannabis Social Clubs leaders, users affiliated as members, cannabis growers, other stakeholders), primarily drawing on qualitative methods (e.g. ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, qualitative media analyses) but also employing a quantitative approach (e.g. online surveys).
Methods: In this article, we reflect on the research experiences of the authors in studying Cannabis Social Clubs, providing insights for future research in this area and within criminology and socio-legal studies. In particular, we aim to examine our approaches with regard to the recruitment of participants and research design, identifying good practices, but also discussing what the less successful strategies were.
Results: We draw on research conducted since 2014 in different countries, with different legal frameworks, which provides an opportunity for a comparative and more in-depth critical consideration of what might be helpful ways of reaching and researching hard-to-reach populations.
Photo by Add Weed on Unsplash.
Categories:
Studies & papers
, Cannabis
Tags:
cannabis
, scientific research
, study
, drug policy
, medical cannabis
, Cannabis Social Clubs (CSC)
, activism
, cannabis associations
, cannabis policy