The Belgian Cannabis Social Club landscape
ISSN: 1745-9265
Article publication date: 24 April 2018
Issue publication date: 30 May 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to map the presence of the Cannabis Social Club (CSC) model in Belgium since its emergence in the country and to analyze the inter-organizational relations among CSCs and between the CSCs and other supportive actors engaged in the wider cannabis movement.
Design/methodology/approach
This analysis draws on qualitative interviews (n=42) with directors of seven currently active and one former Belgian CSC(s), as well as with organizations or individuals reportedly collaborating with the Belgian CSCs. That data are complemented by fieldwork observations and a review of CSC internal documents.
Findings
Despite an uninterrupted presence in the country over the last decade, CSC presence in Belgium remains rather volatile and vulnerable to external control pressure. The CSC landscape is a somewhat segmented field as cooperation among CSCs remains limited. At the same time, the support base for the movement is diverse, encompassing different types of secondary organizations ranging from national and international advocacy groups, to cannabis industry entrepreneurs and other consultants.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the yet limited body of knowledge on CSCs, by providing a first comprehensive overview of the presence of CSCs in one of the key settings associated with the model, by shedding light into the interplay between CSCs, and between other organizations supportive of the cannabis movement.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank all participants of this study. The author would like also to thank the anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful review of the manuscript. This analysis is part of a wider study funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Grant No. G.0A85.15N).
Citation
Pardal, M. (2018), "The Belgian Cannabis Social Club landscape", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 80-89. https://doi.org/10.1108/DAT-09-2017-0051
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited