Temporal transaction patterns in an open-air cannabis market

Abstract

This article describes the results of a nine-month covert surveillance operation of Scandinavia’s principal open-air cannabis market, an area known as Christiania in Copenhagen Denmark. The data detail the time of day of retail transactions from four different sale positions, both outdoor (daytime: n = 1.123, nighttime: n = 1.282) and indoor (n = 63,413). The analysis provides insights into the tempo, rhythm and timing of cannabis transactions, over the course of a day, on weekends compared to weekdays and in relation to payday. It is found that buyers prefer lower price over wider selection and that sellers adapt their opening hours according to temporal patterns in transaction frequency. The findings are relevant for deployment of police resources in regards to maintaining post-crackdown residual deterrence.

Keywords:

• cannabis marketplace
• crackdown
• temporal patterns
• routine activity
• situational crime prevention