STUDYING DRUGS IN RURAL-AREAS - NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Most research on drug use and the drug industry in the United States h as been done in urban areas. On a practical level, the neglect of rura l areas is important because these areas (a) have problems with drug u se, (b) are important in the transshipment of drugs across the country , and (c) are increasingly the sites for the production of synthetic d rugs 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 experience s in studying domestic marijuana production.