Studying Drugs in Rural Areas: Notes from the Field

Most research on drug use and the drug industry in the United States has been done in urban areas. On a practical level, the neglect of rural areas is important because these areas (a) have problems with drug use, (b) are important in the transshipment of drugs across the country, and (c) are increasingly the sites for the production of synthetic drugs and marijuana. From a methodological and theoretical standpoint, the study of variability is the essence of the scientific approach. By excluding substantial rural-urban differences, the study of the drug industry is seriously handicapped. Research in rural areas presents a unique set of problems, however. This study examines research issues in the study of drugs in rural areas, drawing on the author's experiences in studying domestic marijuana production.