Short answer
How many plants can I grow legally? Under federal law, zero. Cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance under 21 U.S.C. 812. State law sets every other number. In states with legal recreational cannabis, the limit for adults 21 and older runs from 2 plants per household in Maryland to 12 plants per adult in Michigan. Several states cap the household at 12 plants even when more adults live at the address.
Cannabis Home Grow Without License: A Guide
Plant counts by state
Recreational states, per adult 21 and older unless noted:
how many plants can i grow legally
- Alaska: 6 plants, 3 mature
- Arizona: 6 plants per person, 12 per household
- California: 6 plants
- Colorado: 6 plants, 3 mature, 12 per household
- Connecticut: 6 plants, 3 mature, 12 per household
- Illinois: 5 plants
- Maine: 6 plants, 3 mature, 12 mature per household
- Maryland: 2 plants per household
- Massachusetts: 6 plants, 12 per household
- Michigan: 12 plants
- Montana: 4 plants, 8 per household
- Nevada: 6 plants, 12 per household
- New Jersey: 6 plants, 12 per household
- New Mexico: 6 plants, 12 per household
- New York: 6 plants, 3 mature, 12 per household
- Ohio: 6 plants, 12 per household
- Oregon: 4 plants per household
- Rhode Island: 6 plants, 3 mature, 12 per household
- Vermont: 6 plants, 2 mature, 12 per household
- Virginia: 4 plants per household
- Washington: 6 plants per household
Flowering plants count twice
Some states count every plant. Others count mature or flowering plants. Colorado permits 6 plants per person, with 3 mature, and 12 per household with 6 mature. New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island use a similar split. In states that do not separate stages, a seedling in a cup counts the same as a plant in week six of flower. Clone and seed counts differ too. Read the statute or the state regulator page.
Cannabis Cultivation Laws by State in 2024
Where the count drops to zero
- Federal land: national parks, national forests, and military bases follow federal law.
- Medical-only states with no home grow clause, such as Florida and Pennsylvania.
- Rental property: a lease can ban plants where state law permits them.
- Local rules: some cities and counties set caps below the state number or ban outdoor plants.
Convenience and the plant count
Home grow limits matter less when a store sits close. Retail sales, delivery, and pickup let a buyer skip the 4 to 5 month grow cycle. The trade is price and tax. States add excise and sales tax at the register. Power, water, soil, and lights offset home grow savings. Yield for a basic indoor setup runs 1 to 4 ounces of dried flower per plant. Six plants can supply a household that uses about an ounce a month. For a buyer who wants one gram on a Friday night, delivery takes less effort than a grow tent.
Medical Cannabis Home Grow Limits: What Patients Can Legally Grow
Check the rule before you plant
Plant counts change. Legislatures amend them and regulators write the details on tags, security, and plant stages. NORML and the Marijuana Policy Project keep state tables. The state cannabis regulator holds the binding text.