Home grow is legal for adults in more than 20 states and Washington, DC. Plant limits run from 2 per household in Maryland to 12 per household in Michigan, and each state adds its own rules on locked space, visibility from the street, and how much harvested flower you may keep. Cannabis is still illegal under federal law, so your state statute is the only rulebook that covers your garden.
limits of cannabis home grow per state
Which states allow cannabis home grow?
Adult-use states with home grow include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia, plus Washington, DC.
Cannabis Home Grow Laws by State: Penalties
Two states allow grows for registered medical patients only: Hawaii and Oklahoma. A few states legalized retail sales but kept home grow illegal. Washington and New Jersey are the two best-known examples, so in those states a licensed shop is the only legal source.
Limits of Cannabis Home Grow Per State
How many plants can you grow? Limits by state
Counts below reflect the standard adult-use or medical allowance for one person or one household. Many states cap the household total even when the per-person number is higher.
- Alaska: 6 plants, 3 mature
- Arizona: 6 per person, 12 per household
- California: 6 plants
- Colorado: 6 per person, 3 mature, 12 per household
- Connecticut: 6 plants, 3 mature
- Delaware: 6 plants
- Washington, DC: 6 plants, 3 mature
- Illinois: 5 plants
- Maine: 6 mature plus 12 immature plants
- Maryland: 2 plants
- Massachusetts: 6 per person, 12 per household
- Michigan: 12 plants per household
- Minnesota: 8 plants, 4 of them flowering
- Missouri: 6 flowering plants with a cultivation card
- Montana: 4 mature plus 4 seedlings
- Nevada: 6 per person, 12 per household, allowed only if no licensed shop sits within 25 miles
- New Mexico: 6 mature plus 6 immature per person
- New York: 6 plants, 3 mature, 12 per household
- Ohio: 6 per adult, 12 per household
- Oregon: 4 plants per residence
- Rhode Island: 6 plants, 3 mature
- Vermont: 6 plants, 2 mature
- Virginia: 4 plants per household
- Hawaii (medical): 10 plants, 7 mature
- Oklahoma (medical): 6 mature plus 6 seedlings
These numbers change. Legislatures adjust plant counts, and state regulators rewrite the details during rulemaking. Check your state agency's page before you plant.
What rules apply in almost every legal state?
- Locked, enclosed space. Most states require an outdoor grow to sit behind a fence or in a locked area, and an indoor grow to sit in a locked room or tent.
- Not visible from public view. Plants must stay out of sight from a street, sidewalk, or neighboring property. Some states spell this out as "not visible with the naked eye."
- Possession cap on harvested flower. A common limit is 1 to 2 ounces of usable cannabis at home, though several states allow the full yield of your legal plants.
- No sales, no paid gifts. You can share cannabis for free in several states. Selling it without a license is a crime everywhere.
- Labeled containers. Some states ask growers to tag plants or keep harvest in marked packages, mostly to separate legal home grow from trafficking.
- Age and access. Plants must stay away from minors. A grow in a home with children needs a lockable space.
- Local zoning and odor rules. Cities can limit outdoor grows and enforce nuisance complaints about smell.
Do you need a license or card to grow at home?
In most adult-use states, no. You plant, you grow, you stay under the count. Missouri is the big exception, since recreational growers need a state cultivation card. Hawaii and Oklahoma require a medical card, and Nevada ties the right to a distance rule from the nearest dispensary.
Medical programs in several states also license caregivers to grow for a patient. Those caregiver counts often differ from the personal grow count, so read the section that matches your registration.
What does a small home grow cost to set up?
A basic indoor setup for one or two plants runs a few hundred dollars: a small tent, a full-spectrum LED light, an exhaust fan with a carbon filter, a timer, fabric pots, soil, and nutrients. A carbon filter matters in apartments, where smell complaints arrive faster than any other problem.
Light is the one place to spend. A weak lamp produces loose, airy buds no matter how good the genetics or the feeding schedule.
How much flower does one plant produce?
Indoor growers commonly harvest 1 to 3 ounces per plant on a first run. Yield climbs with light intensity, pot size, and a steady environment, so a second or third cycle usually beats the first by a wide margin.
Plant count and harvest weight move in opposite directions. States with tight plant limits often allow you to keep the whole yield, while states with generous counts sometimes cap the dried flower at a couple of ounces.
Common questions about home grow
Can I grow cannabis if I rent?
State law does not override a lease. A landlord can ban growing on the property, and many leases do. Get written permission before you set up a tent in a rental.
Can I grow outdoors?
Yes in most legal states, with conditions. A common rule is a locked enclosure and screening so plants stay hidden from neighbors and passersby. Outdoor plants also face weather, pests, and local zoning limits.
Where do I get seeds or clones?
Sourcing rules vary. Some states allow legal seed sales through licensed shops, and some allow home grow without naming a legal purchase route. Buy from a licensed retailer where that option exists, and keep the receipt.
Is home grow legal under federal law?
No. Cannabis remains a controlled substance at the federal level. State programs protect growers from state prosecution, not federal enforcement, and federal land and cross-state transport fall outside any state allowance.
What happens if I exceed the plant limit?
Penalties scale with the overage. A few extra plants may draw a civil fine, while a large count can trigger criminal charges in states that treat excess cultivation as a felony. Count your plants before every harvest and after every clone cuts root.