shelter and maintain cannabis plants on their behalf. As one respondent now believe that - to said, “I avoid the huge potential loss of revenue if we find a large cannabis farm - organised crime groups are now using multiple addresses of loose associates, vulnerable people and customers, so that potential losses are more manageable if we close down one particular farm. Many of these growers are coerced into growing for the This point, made by a Neighbourhood Inspector, is reiterated by a OCGs”. Constable who wrote, is also apparent that there are certain gangs using bullying techniques on “It single parents and people in their community to ensure they have a crop of cannabis plants in their house, thereby any detection will be on the person with the crop and not the original source. They are then selling the cannabis for their A Police Sergeant also argued that organized crime own profit”. must play a key part, due to the sheer scale of the cannabis operation, which can demand large sums of money to initiate. DISCUSSION This study has examined the pattern of domestic cannabis cultivation by providing a snapshot of cannabis farms discovered by police officers working in a UK urban environment over a two-year period. Although caution should be taken when generalising information obtained from a small sample in a specific area, the information reflects many of the previous trends and provides further detail in relation to the types and prevalence of the people and premises involved. One of the first points to be made is that the study supports the significant body of evidence that argues the domestic cultivation of cannabis is increasing dramatically across the UK and internationally. In this study 138 cannabis farms were detected in a relatively small area (41 square miles), over a two-year period. It appears the discovery of cannabis farms is a constant feature of contemporary policing, with 95% of those practitioners surveyed saying this increase had been dramatic.
shelter and maintain cannabis plants on their behalf. As one respondent said, “I now believe that - to avoid the huge potential loss of revenue if we find a large cannabis farm - organised crime groups are now using multiple addresses of loose associates, vulnerable people and customers, so that potential losses are more manageable if we close down one particular farm. Many of these growers are coerced into growing for the OCGs”. This point, made by a Neighbourhood Inspector, is reiterated by a Constable who wrote, “It is also apparent that there are certain gangs using bullying techniques on single parents and people in their community to ensure they have a crop of cannabis plants in their house, thereby any detection will be on the person with the crop and not the original source. They are then selling the cannabis for their own profit”. A Police Sergeant also argued that organized crime must play a key part, due to the sheer scale of the cannabis operation, which can demand large sums of money to initiate. DISCUSSION This study has examined the pattern of domestic cannabis cultivation by providing a snapshot of cannabis farms discovered by police officers working in a UK urban environment over a two-year period. Although caution should be taken when generalising information obtained from a small sample in a specific area, the information reflects many of the previous trends and provides further detail in relation to the types and prevalence of the people and premises involved. One of the first points to be made is that the study supports the significant body of evidence that argues the domestic cultivation of cannabis is increasing dramatically across the UK and internationally. In this study 138 cannabis farms were detected in a relatively small area (41 square miles), over a two-year period. It appears the discovery of cannabis farms is a constant feature of contemporary policing, with 95% of those practitioners surveyed saying this increase had been dramatic.