How state possession limits work
The United States has no single cannabis possession limit. Each state writes its own rules, and those rules split into three numbers: how much flower you may carry in public, how much you may keep at home, and how many plants you may grow. A state that allows 1 ounce in your pocket may still allow 8 ounces in a locked box at home. Concentrates and edibles often carry separate caps measured in grams or milligrams of THC.
Federal law still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance, so no state limit protects you on federal land, in airports, or across state lines. Possession limits apply only inside the state that passed them.
Typical public possession limits
Adult-use states cluster around a small set of numbers for cannabis flower carried outside the home. Most fall between 1 ounce and 3 ounces.
- 1 ounce (28.5 grams): Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon (in public), Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington
- 1.5 ounces: Connecticut, Maryland
- 2 ounces: Colorado, District of Columbia, Minnesota (in public), New Mexico
- 2.5 ounces: Maine, Michigan, Ohio
- 3 ounces: Missouri, New York
Illinois uses a metric cap of 30 grams of flower for adult-use customers, which is slightly more than 1 ounce. Medical patients in Illinois may buy more under their patient allotment.
Cannabis Laws by State Comparison Guide
Concentrates and edibles
Concentrate limits rarely match flower limits. California allows 8 grams of concentrate on a person. Nevada caps concentrate at one eighth of an ounce. Arizona sets 5 grams. Illinois allows 5 grams of concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC in edibles per purchase. Colorado and Washington cap edibles at 100 milligrams of THC per package, with single servings set at 10 milligrams.
Home storage limits
What you may keep at home is usually larger than what you may carry. Massachusetts allows 1 ounce in public and 10 ounces at home. Michigan allows 2.5 ounces in public and 10 ounces at home. Oregon allows 1 ounce in public and 8 ounces at home. Minnesota allows 2 pounds at home. New York allows 3 ounces in public and 5 pounds at home, and that home figure covers personal possession, not resale.
Home cultivation limits
Plant counts vary more than any other number. A few examples:
- 2 plants: Maryland
- 4 plants: Montana, Oregon, Virginia (per household)
- 6 plants: Arizona, California, Colorado (3 mature), Maine (6 mature and 12 immature), Massachusetts (per person, 12 per household), Missouri (3 mature), Nevada (per person), New York (3 mature and 3 immature), Rhode Island (12 per household cap), Vermont (2 mature and 4 immature), Washington, DC (3 mature)
- 8 plants: Minnesota (4 mature)
- 12 plants: Michigan, Ohio (per household)
Illinois, New Jersey, and Washington bar recreational home grows. Some medical programs allow cultivation where the adult-use market does not.
Medical programs and different limits
Medical states without adult-use sales often permit more cannabis than recreational states. Florida patients may possess a 35-day supply, which can exceed 4 ounces depending on the route of administration. Oklahoma patients may hold up to 3 ounces of flower, 1 ounce of concentrate, and 72 ounces of edibles. A few states, including Texas and Georgia, permit only low-THC oils and no smokable flower.
States where cannabis is still illegal
Adult-use sales do not exist in Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, or Wyoming, and possession for personal use remains a criminal offense there. Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin allow only narrow medical programs or CBD products with THC caps. Carrying cannabis into one of those states exposes you to its penalties, even if you bought the product legally at home.
How to check your state's possession limit
Prerequisites: know whether you hold a medical card, and know whether you carry flower, concentrate, or edibles.
- Find the state agency that regulates cannabis, or the text of the state statute.
- Read the public possession limit for the product type you carry.
- Read the home storage limit, which may be higher than the public limit.
- Confirm the plant count if you grow at home, including any per-household cap.
- Check city and county ordinances for local limits that are stricter than the state.
- Confirm packaging rules, since most states require sealed, labeled containers in a vehicle.
- Verify the statute date, because legislatures change possession limits on a regular basis.
What changes your risk
Amount over the limit, open containers, driving under the influence, and possession on federal property all raise the penalty. Most adult-use states treat possession slightly over the limit as a civil infraction with a fine, while larger amounts can become misdemeanors or felonies. Every state treats distribution differently from possession, so taking payment for cannabis you share can trigger distribution charges.