Cannabis is often consumed by a lot more people when it is legalized than when it’s not. So even if consumers require it for medicinal purposes, they would rather refrain from using it to stay out of legal trouble.
However, when marijuana is decriminalized, people also have the option to grow it by themselves. Did you know that only 6% of U.S. citizens grow their marijuana? So what’s stopping the rest of the users from doing the same? Perhaps they are not well aware of their rules to stay out of legal trouble.
While it is true that you must keep a few things in mind and stay within the specified guidelines to grow marijuana legally, they are not too extreme. You can still abide by them and save a lot of money on having to make constant purchases of cannabis products.
States that Allow Growing Cannabis at Home
Although 37 U.S states have decriminalized marijuana, growing it is not legal in all those states yet. A medical marijuana consumer may wish to develop their cannabis for various reasons, such as the convenience of having their natural medicine nearby, saving money on medical bills, etc. So let’s look at the states that allow you to grow cannabis at home:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
If you live in one of these states, you can grow your marijuana without getting in trouble if you follow the rules mentioned below.
Rules to Follow When Growing Marijuana at Home
Before we begin, keep in mind that the laws may vary a bit depending upon the state. However, below are the basic rules you should keep in mind.
Quantity
The amount of marijuana you grow at home is often split into mature plants and seedlings. For instance, California laws allow users to grow six plants for adult use but have no limit on the number of plants they can grow for medical use. However, as a California citizen, you will require a doctor’s recommendation to grow more than six cannabis plants.
If you live in this Riverside area, Medical Marijuana Card Riverside is the perfect place to get a grower’s license, which allows you to cultivate up to 99 cannabis plants.
Age Limit
You have to be at least 21 years old to grow marijuana for recreational purposes, and that is if you live in one of the states where adult use of marijuana is legal. Otherwise, you must be 21 with an MMJ card to grow your marijuana in states where it is only legal for medical use.
Other Requirements
A few other things you have to keep in mind while growing cannabis at home are:
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- It would be best to live at least 25 miles away from a medical marijuana dispensary.
- The plants you grow may not be visible to the general public, such as you may not grow them in the front garden.
- Your plants must not be present in an area accessible to the general public, especially minors.
- You must not sell marijuana. Remember that an MMJ card or a grower’s license does not permit you to sell. Selling is a significant offense.
Keeping these in mind, let’s look at some penalties U.S. citizens may face for not following these guidelines.
Penalties
If your state does not allow growing cannabis plants by yourself, you may face criminal charges for doing the same. Even if you obtain an MMJ in such a state, it does not permit you to grow your cannabis, only legally purchase it.
However, in states where it is legal to grow cannabis at home, you may still face charges for the following reasons:
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- Cultivating more plants than allowed in your state.
- Selling marijuana to anyone or distributing it to minors.
- Growing /manufacturing other drugs with an MMJ card.
- Growing marijuana as a minor.
- Transporting marijuana with the intent to sell.
As long as you stay within the laws and regulations of your state, you can safely grow cannabis at home. However, if you have any doubts, it is best to do research beforehand and get in touch with a 420 doctor to stay on the safe side.
