ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some findings related to grower's perceptions on potency and quality of cannabis, drawn from the study of small-scale home cultivators in Belgium. It examines the perceptions of Belgian growers by examining official data and peer reviewed publications on Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency, auto-titration mechanisms, and adulteration and contamination of cannabis. A similar picture arose from the web survey: a considerable number of growers started cultivating cannabis because they were not satisfied with the potency of the marihuana sold in Dutch coffee shops. The THC content of cannabis from Dutch coffee shops was usually estimated at around 15". The growers preoccupation with the strength and the quality of the cannabis they grow in comparison with the cannabis they buy elsewhere is a theme which often re-occurs in their narratives. The data from the study on small scale cannabis growers in Belgium suggest that a considerable number of growers believe commercial cannabis is too worked up.
