Make Sure To Check The Law In Your Area! The Information is subject to change and this article should not be taken as legal advice, we are not experts in the law, this is our interpretation only. 

The world has seen an increase in the use of cannabis products during recent years, but the laws regarding home cultivation are somewhat stricter than you might expect. Less than 40 states have legalized medicinal cannabis, and about half of them allow home-growing ―while in 16 states it is still considered illegal. 

It’s very likely that as the demand continues to increase, more states will allow homegrown cannabis for personal use. 

Let’s look over the laws according to each state as it stand 

States Not Allowing Home Growing

In the following states, while the use of medicinal cannabis is legal, at-home cultivation by the users is not allowed: 

States Allowing Home Growing

In some of the states allowing the use of cannabis, there is no distinction between home growing for medical or recreational purposes. Some states allow medicinal cannabis users to grow more than recreational users, while others allow growing only for medicinal use.

Of course, there are regulations and restrictions as to the number of plants allowed.

Alaska

Adults (21+) are legally allowed to grow marijuana at home, without the requirement of registration with the authorities. The law allows for up to 6 marijuana plants per person, and by extension, a household of two or more adults can grow up to 12 plants. However, only half of them can be flowering at once (More here).

Arizona

After the approval of the Arizona Department of Health Services, an eligible patient or their qualifying caregiver are allowed to cultivate medical marijuana, given that the patient’s residence is not located within 25 miles from the closest dispensary. Up to 6 plants are allowed per person, and this is the limit even if there are more than 2 qualifying patients sharing a household (More here).

California

Adults (21+) are allowed to cultivate marijuana, and regardless of the number of residents, each household is allowed up to 6 plants for recreational use, while there is no limit regarding medicinal purposes (More here).

Colorado

Any adult (21+) is legally allowed to grow up to 6 plants for personal use, with only 3 of them flowering at once. Maximum quantity is 12 plants per household if the latter is shared by multiple qualified patients, while a caregiver with up to 5 patients is allowed up to 36 plants in total (More here).

Hawaii

Patients and their caregivers, both registered with the state government, are allowed to grow medicinal marijuana for personal use, with a maximum of 10 plants. As for recreational users, the limit is 6 plants per person, with only half mature and flowering (More here).

Maine

Anyone over the age of 21 can grow marijuana, with a maximum of 6 mature flowering plants per household (More here). 

Massachusetts

Adults (21+) can grow up to 6 marijuana plants per person, and the maximum is 12 plants for a shared household (More here). 

Michigan

Adults (21+) can cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants per residence, while eligible caregivers are allowed to grow up to 12 plants for up to 5 individual patients; this means that a maximum of 60 plants for patients and of 12 plants for themselves are legally allowed for state-registered professionals (More here).

Missouri

This state does not allow the cultivation of cannabis for recreational purposes, but since 2019 you can apply for medical marijuana cards, so that you can grow marijuana plants in the security of your own home (More here).

Montana

Patients who are registered cardholders are legally allowed to grow up to 4 mature marijuana plants strictly for medicinal use. The limit reaches up to 8 mature plants and 8 seedlings per shared household ―and you have to report the location to the Department of Public Health (More here). 

Nevada

Given that the closest state-licensed dispensary is out of 25 miles reach, registered adult (21+) users may grow up to 6 marijuana plants securely at home, with a maximum of 12 plants per residence for medicinal purposes (More here).

New Hampshire

With the HB 364 bill allowing for patients and caregivers to grow their own plants in a secure, private place, medical users are legally allowed a maximum of 6 plants (half mature) per household, and 12 seedlings (More here)

New Mexico

With a Personal Production License issued by the state’s Department of Health, eligible patients are allowed to grow a maximum of 4 mature plants. However, there is a limit of 2 licenses per household. A single location cannot have more than 2 personal production licenses (More here)

Oklahoma

Registered patients are legally allowed to grow up to 6 mature marijuana plants and 6 seedlings at once, strictly for medicinal use (More here and here)

Oregon

Anyone over the age of 21 may cultivate marijuana at home, but there is a distinction as far as use is concerned: if you’re a recreational user, you are allowed up to 4 plants per household, while medical users registered with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program are allowed a maximum of 6 plants (More here)

Rhode Island

Up to 12 mature plants are allowed for eligible patients registered with the Rhode Island Department of Health, while there is a limit of 24 mature plants for any household of more than two adults. All plants should be cultivated indoors (More here)

Vermont

Adults (21+) are allowed to grow marijuana at home, with varying limitations depending on the use. For recreational users, 2 mature and 4 immature plants are allowed per household, while for medicinal use, registered medical marijuana cardholders can grow up to 2 mature and 7 immature plants (More here)

Washington

The cultivation of marijuana is illegal for recreational purposes, but for medicinal use it is permitted. Registered medical marijuana patients are allowed to grow up to 6 plants per household, and if deemed necessary by the qualifying healthcare practitioner, the limit increases (More here)

Washington D.C.

A maximum of 12 marijuana plants are legally allowed per household, including 6 plants per adult, with no more than half of them being mature at once (More here)