The legality of growing weed

Legalizing marijuana is a huge topic all around the world, with a growing number of countries and states making it legal to grow weed. About 21 countries have legalized weed either just for medicinal purposes or made it completely legal. This is great news, but it leaves many home growers in the U.S. wondering if home cultivation is allowed in their location.

Here’s what you need to know about growing marijuana where you live.

In many places it is legal

If you plan to start cultivating your own weed at home, it is good to know the laws of the land for your own safety. There are different types of cannabis laws which make it legal to use but not to grow, so you have to get it from a dispensary, or in some cases, you can do both.  

If you live in Canada, you are in luck because it is one of the countries where the federal government fully legalized cannabis on July 1, 2018. Every adult is now permitted to grow up to 4 plants at home. Before that, growing for recreational purposes was strictly prohibited. Growing cannabis at home was for medical reasons only.

Alaska permits the use, possession, purchase, and cultivation of marijuana with a few rules and regulations of course. In California, adults over the age of 21 can possess 28.5 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of marijuana concentrate. Users can grow up to 6 plants per adult.

In 2013 Uruguay completely legalized all forms of cannabis so long as you are 18 years or older and a resident.

Related: The Costs of Growing Marijuana 

It should be legal, it’s just a plant

It’s crazy that a plant such as cannabis with so many health benefits is even illegal in many places. A plant that naturally grows in nature should be accessible to all who need it or simply want to enjoy the experience. Nature provides everything needed to live happy, healthy, and whole lives.

This includes marijuana!

Marijuana has so many potential uses for patients suffering from chronic pain, insomnia, PTSD, and more. It’s a plant, it’s natural, and it won’t poison us, so there is no valid reason to make it illegal.

Overview of all legal states/countries

We already listed a few places where it’s legal to grow marijuana such as California, Uruguay, Colorado, and Canada. Here is a general overview of all legal states/countries.

Please note that these state cannabis laws are accurate as of 2019 but subject to change. You should always confirm the most up to date statutes for your state when beginning a grow.

Alaska

Adults 21 years of age or older may grow up to 6 plants total with no more than 3 being mature.

Arizona

Registered caregivers and qualifying patients may cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants if they reside more than 25 miles from the closest medical marijuana dispensary.

California

6 plants can be grown per person for adults 21 years of age or older. Caregivers and patients may grow up to 6 plants.

Related: When to Plant Pot Outside in California 

Colorado

Adult residents of Colorado are welcome to grow up to 6 plants per person so long as no more than 3 plants are in the flowering stage at any time. Only 12 total plants are permitted per residence no matter how many people are occupying the home.

District of Columbia

It is legal for an adult 21 years or older to cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants in their home so long as no more than 3 of them are mature.

Hawaii

A registered medical marijuana patient is permitted to grow no more than 10 plants total and up to 4 oz. of usable weed jointly between the caregiver and patient. Marijuana can only be grown at either the caregiver’s residence or the qualifying patient’s home.

Maine

Maine residents can cultivate no more than 6 mature plants,12 immature plants, and as many seedlings as they want per home for recreational use.

Massachusetts

If you are 21 or older, the law permits you to cultivate up to 6 mature plants per person for personal use. The max per household is 12 plants. A qualifying medical marijuana patient may grow enough plants to produce a 60-day supply only for patient use.

Michigan

Adults 21 years old may cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants in their home for personal use in an enclosed facility.

Nevada

Adults 21 years old and older can legally grow up to 6 plants in their residence if they live more than 25 miles from a retail cannabis shop. The law allows up to 12 plants max per household.

New Mexico

Qualified patients with a license to grow medical marijuana at home may cultivate no more than 4 mature plants and 12 seedlings at a time.

North Dakota

Up to 8 cannabis plants may be cultivated within an enclosed, locked space, a minimum of 1,000 feet from any public school and if you are 40 miles or more from a dispensary.

Oklahoma

Qualified medical marijuana patients may cultivate up to 12 plants with no more than 6 mature plants at any time.

Oregon

For personal use, growers 21 years of age or older are permitted to cultivate no more than 4 plants per home. Registered Oregon patients may have up to 6 mature plants at the registered residence.

Rhode Island

A patient cardholder may possess an amount that does not exceed 12 mature plants. These plants must be kept indoors.

Vermont

Registered patients may cultivate up to 2 mature plants and 7 immature plants. Also, registered caregivers can grow the same amount as well for their patient’s use.

Washington

Qualifying patients may cultivate as many as 6 plants and have up to 8 ounces of usable weed grown from their plants.

Canada

Residents may legally grow up to 5 marijuana plants and store up to 225 grams indoors. Outdoor growers are permitted up to 2 plants and to keep up to 750 grams. In combination, you may grow up to 4 indoor plants with 1 outdoor plant and keep up to 375 grams.

Countries where it is legal:

- Turkey legalized marijuana for medical use only.

- Uruguay is fully legal.

- Puerto Rico – legal for medicinal use

- Poland – partially medically legal

- The Philippines legalized it for medical use

- Mexico – medically decriminalized and legalized

- Macedonia – Medically legal

- Jamaica – partially legal/decriminalized for medicinal use

- Italy – medically legalized

- Israel – medically legalized

- India – illegal federally, however, legal in certain states

- Germany – medically legalized/decriminalized

- Czech Republic – medically legalized

- Croatia – medically legalized

- Colombia – medically legalized/decriminalized

- Chile – medically legalized

- Australia – medically legalized/partially decriminalized

- Argentina – CBD is legal and partially medically legalized/decriminalized

Overview of states with distance restrictions on cultivation

Certain states extend grow and use limits based on how far you are from dispensaries. Living far from the city, for example, may make it hard to obtain marijuana when you need it.

North Dakota

As long as it is within a locked, indoor facility at least 1,000 feet from public schools, patients can grow up to 8 plants if they live 40 miles or more from a dispensary.

Nevada

Any resident 21 years of age or older may grow up to 6 plants per person (12 per household) if they reside more than 25 miles from the closest marijuana shop.

Arizona

Medical marijuana patients living more than 25 miles from the closest cannabis dispensary may grow up to 12 plants at home.

Related: How Cannabis Became Pot