This study examines the monetary value of cannabis retail trades and temporal patterns in an open-air market with low legal risks.
Method:
Video footage detail activities of four sellers and transcriptions were provided by the Copenhagen police. Standard bivariate tests of statistical significance are used to examine the influence of time of day and discretionary activities on trade value and temporal patterns.
Results:
The average trade was valued at DKK 159 (∼US$24) and DKK 121 when excluding 16 outliers. Both the rate and monetary value of trades increase as the day progresses. Twice as many trades are made hourly after sunset and significantly more in relation to national holidays and on days before days with extreme weather.
Conclusion:
Under the conditions of low legal risks and easy access to supply, cannabis trades are small and tend to increase in value over the course of a day. The temporal patterns in rates follow user availability of discretionary time.
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