Home cannabis cultivation is legal for adults in most recreational states, usually with a limit of 2 to 12 plants per household, while a few legal states, including Washington, New Jersey, and Illinois, do not allow recreational home grow at all. Medical-only states often permit patients to grow a separate, smaller plant count. Every state that allows growing requires plants to stay inside a private residence or a locked space that is not visible to the public.
cannabis home grow regulations by state
Which states allow cannabis home grow?
Home cultivation is permitted in most states that legalized adult-use marijuana, plus a number of medical-only states that allow patients or caregivers to grow. The District of Columbia also allows adults to grow a small number of plants at home. Each state writes its own plant counts, security rules, and age requirements.
cannabis home grow regulations by state
How many plants can you grow at home in each state?
Limits commonly fall between 4 and 12 plants, and states split them either per adult or per household. Many states cap the household total even when each adult is allowed a personal count. The list below reflects typical adult-use limits, so confirm current numbers with your state regulator before planting.
us state cannabis growing laws
- Alaska: up to 6 plants, 3 flowering, per adult; 12 per household
- Arizona: up to 6 per adult; 12 per household
- California: up to 6 per household
- Colorado: up to 6 per adult; 12 per household
- Connecticut: up to 6 plants, 3 mature, per adult
- Delaware: up to 6 per adult; 12 per household
- Maine: up to 3 mature flowering plants, 12 immature plants, plus seedlings
- Maryland: up to 2 per household
- Massachusetts: up to 6 per adult; 12 per household
- Michigan: up to 12 per household
- Minnesota: up to 8 per adult, 4 flowering
- Missouri: up to 6 mature and 6 immature per adult
- Montana: up to 4 mature per adult; 8 per household
- Nevada: up to 6 per adult; 12 per household
- New Mexico: up to 6 mature and 6 immature per adult; 12 per household
- New York: up to 6 mature and 6 immature per adult
- Ohio: up to 6 per adult; 12 per household
- Oregon: up to 4 per household
- Rhode Island: up to 6 plants, 3 mature, per adult
- Vermont: up to 6 plants, 2 mature, per adult
- Virginia: up to 4 per household
- Washington, D.C.: up to 6 plants, 3 mature, per adult; 12 per household
Which legal states ban home grow?
Washington state and New Jersey allow retail sales but prohibit recreational home cultivation. Illinois permits medical patients to grow up to 5 plants but bars recreational growing. Several medical states, including Florida, also allow cannabis products without allowing patients to grow at home.
Do medical marijuana patients get different plant limits?
Yes. States with medical-only programs often set their own counts, such as Hawaii at 7 plants, New Hampshire at 3 mature and 3 immature plants, and Oklahoma at 6 mature and 6 immature plants. Caregivers may be allowed to grow for a limited number of patients.
Are home grow limits set per person or per household?
Both models exist. Colorado, Nevada, and Ohio count plants per adult but cap the home at 12, while California, Oregon, and Virginia apply a single household limit regardless of how many adults live there. Sharing or selling the harvest without a license is illegal in nearly every legal state.
Do homegrown plants need to be hidden from public view?
Yes, in essentially every state that permits cultivation. Plants must sit in an enclosed, locked area or a residence that minors cannot access, and some states restrict or ban outdoor growing. Odor, fencing, and lighting rules may also apply under local zoning.
Can you legally move homegrown cannabis across state lines?
No. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, and transporting homegrown flower or plants across a state border is a federal offense even between two legal states. Buying seeds or clones online and shipping them is also restricted.
Do home grow laws apply to CBD and hemp?
Hemp is a separate category from marijuana and is defined federally as cannabis containing no more than 0.3 percent THC. Hemp cultivation is regulated by state agriculture departments rather than cannabis regulators, and CBD products made from compliant hemp can be sold across state lines. Home grow rules for high-THC cannabis do not change the legal status of lab-tested CBD.
How often do cannabis home grow laws change?
Plant counts, possession caps, and medical program rules change almost every legislative session. A state that allowed 4 plants one year may allow 6 or 12 the next, and enforcement varies by county. Check your state cannabis regulator, a legislative tracker, or a policy nonprofit before you start growing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Verify your state's current statute and local ordinances, since cultivation rules, plant counts, and penalties differ by jurisdiction.