by Connie Oswald Stofko
On June 29, it will be legal for adults, age 21 and older, to grow cannabis at home in New York State.
Right now, only medical cannabis can be grown by private individuals in New York State. The patient must get authorization from a certified health care provider to grow cannabis.
The rules that are in place now for growing medical cannabis will be the rules for home cultivation of cannabis starting June 29.
A person 21 years or older can grow up to 6 plants in their home for their own use, which includes 3 mature (flowering) plants and 3 immature (non-flowering) plants.
The maximum is 12 plants per household. That is 6 mature (flowering) plants and 6 immature (non-flowering) plants, even if there are 3 or more adults in the residence.
Other rules for growing cannabis at home:
- Cannabis plants must be kept in a secure place and not accessible to any person under 21.
- Home cultivated cannabis cannot be sold to anyone and is intended only for personal use.
- It is illegal to make cannabis hash oil or concentrates using substances such as butane, propane or alcohol with home grown cannabis.
- Local municipalities may enact and enforce regulations relating to home cultivation of cannabis, provided no municipality completely bans or prohibits home cultivation.
See basics on how to grow cannabis at home here from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
Note: People living in federal subsidized housing can’t grow cannabis at home. The federal government hasn’t yet legalized cannabis, so it can’t be grown legally on federal property. (Last week it was announced that the federal government is moving to reclassifying cannabis as a less dangerous drug, but it won’t be legalized for recreational use.)