A substantial amount of research has focused on understanding the sources from which individuals acquire illicit substances. To contribute to this area of research, the European Web Survey on Drugs (EWSD) included several questions to assess where individuals obtain the substances that they use. Using data from 16 countries covered in two waves of the EWSD, this chapter first explores the four different sources from which the two most commonly used forms of cannabis, herbal and resin, are acquired. In doing such, this chapter shows that there is considerable variation in the sources from which people acquire cannabis across these countries. Second, it analyses the relationship between sources of acquisition and frequency of use for these two forms of cannabis. The results of the analysis show that acquiring cannabis from a dealer and growing one’s own supply (and to a lesser extent purchasing it online) increases with frequency of use. While this pattern was highly consistent across countries for herbal cannabis, there was some variation for cannabis resin. These results highlight the importance of studying different forms of cannabis separately. As differences still exist between countries, context-specific issues may influence the relationship between patterns of use and sources of acquisition, which require further research.

[See also, related insights paper: The Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium (GCCRC): a transnational online survey of cannabis growers]