It’s a fact:

Marijuana is a plant. An all-natural, potentially organic product of the earth that is scientifically proven to be medicinally beneficial! And yet, despite that, the answer to how many states let you grow your own marijuana is just over 25%. Let’s take a look at the legal stipulations surrounding the home cultivation of cannabis.

Growing Cannabis in the Past

grow your own marijuana at home

The cultivate of hemp and cannabis used to be more wide-spread.

Back in the day, cannabis was embraced as a healing herbal remedy by both natural healers and the emerging practitioners of Western medicine. Even in the middle of the 19th century, patients could purchase cannabis extracts in pharmacies, to treat various medical conditions. Presumably, at this time the cultivation of cannabis was unrestricted, no more problematic to cultivate than sage or oregano.

Despite its availability, however, there were always dissenters who argued the plant was a “poison”, and after 1860, some states put in place a law that required cannabis extracts to be labeled as such. Other states did not classify the substance quite so harshly, but labeling regulations were still put in place.

Unfortunately, after the first decade of the new century, the FDA included marijuana on its list of “dangerous drugs” and a number of states – interestingly, states like Massachusetts and Maine, which are now very liberal – began restricting prescriptions for “habit-forming” substances, one of which was cannabis.

There remained, of course, a recognized distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana, because it wasn’t until 1937, when the attack on cannabis really began (think “Reefer Madness”), that industrial hemp prohibition began. But that’s a story for another time!

Have you heard about these
“5 Benefits of Cannabis”?

Growing Weed in Different States

Today, cannabis has made quite a comeback in social standing and public sentiment, and thank goodness. We still have a ways to go – there are still three states that completely ban cannabis use (and cultivation) of any kind, for any reason: Kansas, Idaho, and South Dakota – but medical and even recreational legalization is sweeping the nation, and with it comes some updated cultivation laws – hurrah!

(For specific details, check out Leafly’s very helpful article.)

US States That Allow Medical Cannabis Cultivation for Registered Patients

STATE RULES
Arizona up to 12 plants if more than 25 miles from nearest dispensary
Hawaii up to 7 plants; law allowing caregiver to grow is being revoked next year
Michigan up to 12 plants
Montana up to 12 plants, no more than 4 flowering
New Mexico up to 12 plants, no more than 4 flowering
North Dakota up to 8 plants if more than 40 miles from nearest dispensary
Rhode Island up to 12 flowering plants and 12 seedlings
Vermont up to 9 plants, no more than 2 flowering
Washington up to 6 plants

US States That Allow Recreational Marijuana Cultivation for Anyone Over 21

STATE RULES
Alaska up to 6 plants, no more than 3 flowering
California up to 12 plants, no more than 6 flowering
Colorado up to 6 plants, no more than 3 flowering
District of Columbia up to 6 plants, no more than 3 flowering
Maine unlimited seedlings, up to 12 plants, no more than 6 flowering
Massachusetts up to 6 plants
Nevada up to 12 plants if more than 25 miles from nearest dispensary
Oregon up to 4 plants (more for registered patients)

Growing Pot in Canada

Our northern neighbors have federal regulations so they don’t have to keep track of changes by province, but allowances do depend on individual prescriptions. As of earlier this year, Canadian patients can grow up to 5 plants indoors, or 2 outdoors, for “every one gram of dried marijuana authorized”.

Buying Cannabis Seeds

Even if your state doesn’t currently allow home cultivation, you can order cannabis in preparation for future legalization. When stored properly, cannabis seeds remain viable for up to 3 years! Why not browse our selection of more than 40 cannabis seeds strains and get started on your collection, today!