about this study

Several countries and states have taken the first steps to decriminalize possession and/or personal cultivation of cannabis, and some have even gone as far as to regulate the recreational cannabis market. In other countries, the debate on how an alternative cannabis market might look like has gained momentum. We hope to contribute to that debate by mapping the Cannabis Social Club landscape in Europe.

The Cannabis Social Club is an interesting model as it may offer a safe and feasible option for policy-makers to move a meaningful distance along the spectrum towards legally regulated cannabis markets without crossing over to full commercial availability. For some years now, we have been documenting and analysing the Cannabis Social Club model and have published several academic papers about this topic (please see below).

However, in most European countries, the existence and activities of Cannabis Social Clubs have not been described in detail. With our study, we want to inform other academics, policy-makers and the general public about this model. In order to do so, we kindly invite you to participate in our study.

This study aims to map the Cannabis Social Club phenomenon in the 28 European Union Member States.

Participation in our study entails the completion of a 30-item questionnaire. This will take approximately 30 minutes of your time. Please remember that it is important for us that the questions are answered honestly, and that only fully completed questionnaires can be used in our study.

We are aware that this remains a sensitive topic, and that in some countries Cannabis Social Clubs have been the target of police raids or prosecution. Participants in this study are guaranteed anonymity and will not be identifiable in any of our subsequent publications or communications about the findings of the study.

The general community typically has an unrealistic view about people who use or grow cannabis. We want you to help provide a more informed picture by completing this questionnaire. We look forward to being able to provide a fuller picture of cannabis clubs, cannabis growing and cannabis consumers in Europe.

PUBLICATIONS

Key publications from the research team concerning Cannabis Social Clubs:

PARDAL, M., TIEBERGHIEN, J. (2017). An analysis of media framing of and by Cannabis Social Clubs in Belgium: making the news?. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 24(4), 348-358.

DECORTE, T., PARDAL, M., QUEIROLO, R., BOIDI, M. F., SANCHEZ, C., PARES, O. (2017). Regulating Cannabis Social Clubs: a comparative analysis of legal and self-regulatory practices in Spain, Belgium and Uruguay. International Journal of Drug Policy, 43(1), 44-56.

DECORTE, T. & PARDAL, M. (2017). Cannabis Social Clubs in Europe: Prospects and Limits, pp. 285-299. In: Colson, R., Bergeron, H., European Drug Policies: the ways of reform. New York: Routledge.

PARDAL, M. (2016). Cannabis social clubs in Belgium: growing in a legal haze?, pp. 13-29. In: Maillard, J. et al., (eds.), Crime and order, criminal justice experiences and desistance: today’s security issues (Vol. 4). Antwerpen: Maklu.

PARDAL, M. (2016) Cannabis Social Clubs through the lens of the drug user movement. Tijdschrift over Cultuur & Criminaliteit, (6),2, 47-58.

DECORTE, T., DE GRAUWE, P., TYTGAT, J. (2016). Cannabis onder controle: hoe? Leuven: Lannoo Campus.

DECORTE, T. (2015). Cannabis social clubs in Belgium: organizational strenghts and weaknesses, and threats to the model. International Journal of Drug Policy, 26(1), 122–130.

PARÉS, Ò., & BOUSO, J. C. (2015). Cannabis Social Clubs Innovation born of necessity. Pioneering drug
policy in Catalonia. New York: Open Society Foundations.

DECORTE, T. (2014). De Belgische “Cannabis Social Clubs”: Middenweg tussen zwarte markt en commerciële beschikbaarheid? Panopticon, 35(6), 520–537.