Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: Expanding markets for premium quality “designer” marijuana have developed in many cities in the United States, Canada and Western Europe. The term “designer” describes a spectrum of marijuana varieties that are usually grown indoors hydroponically under extremely controlled conditions from seeds that are carefully selected to produce high-yield female cannabis plants. Designer marijuana may also be grown outdoors in select environments in Northern California and Lower Canada. Many of the premium quality seeds are originally procured in the Netherlands where growers cross-breed and develop different strains of cannabis-indica and cannabis-sativa, and enter these strains into competitions. In New York, many high-end marijuana delivery services make thousands of daily deliveries of small amounts (2 grams for $50) of this premium quality marijuana to private locations (apartments, offices, art galleries, recording studios, and other places of work and play). This poster will present qualitative and visual data that will delineate the appearance of, sale processes for, and the relatively affluent clientele, purchasing high quality designer marijuana in the illegal marketplace.