What are the CT cannabis growing laws for home grow?
CT cannabis growing laws let each adult 21 and older grow up to three mature and three immature plants in their primary residence, with no more than twelve plants per household. DCP says the plants must be grown indoors, must not be visible from the street, and must be kept where individuals under 21 cannot access them.
The plant counts people get wrong
The tempting arithmetic is multiplication. If one adult 21 or older can grow six plants, the thinking goes, a house with four such adults can grow twenty-four. It cannot. The allowance belongs to each adult 21 and older, but the home has a ceiling of its own, and the table below shows where it stops the count.
The other misreading treats the allowance as any six plants. The counts come from chapter 420b of the state's General Statutes, which splits the allowance: each adult 21 or older may grow up to three mature and three immature plants, and by simple arithmetic from that row, six mature plants for one adult is twice the mature allowance.
How the household cap works in a real home
The cap only changes the answer once a third adult 21 or older lives in the home. The table below is derived arithmetic from the per-adult allowance and the household cap, showing how the count plays out as more of them share the same primary residence.
| Adults 21 and older living in the home | Their allowances added together | Most plants the home can have at once |
|---|---|---|
| One | Three mature, three immature | Six |
| Two | Six mature, six immature | Twelve |
| Three | Nine mature, nine immature | Twelve |
| Four | Twelve mature, twelve immature | Twelve |
Two adults 21 and older reach the household cap exactly, because their two allowances come to twelve plants. Each one after that brings an allowance the home has no room to use.
Where the plants can and cannot live
The statute sets the counts. DCP's plain-language article on growing cannabis at home sets the conditions on location, and it is worth reading in full before you set anything up. For location, the conditions apply together: the plants are in the grower's primary residence, they are grown indoors, and they cannot be seen from the street. Most spots in a home land clearly on one side.
- A spare room or basement where nothing shows through a street-facing window: passes, provided the under-21 condition below is also met.
- A sunny front window: the plants are inside, but if someone on the sidewalk can see them, they fail DCP's street-view condition.
- An outdoor backyard, deck, porch or balcony: does not qualify, however much fencing or privacy the yard has.
- A friend's apartment or a weekend place: the allowance is tied to the primary residence of each adult 21 or older who grows, so plants grown somewhere else are outside the rule.
Keeping plants out of reach of anyone under 21
DCP says home grown plants must be in the primary residence where individuals under 21 cannot access them. So if someone under 21 lives in the home or visits it, the plants need to be somewhere that person cannot get to. NORML reported on June 28, 2023 that the plants must be grown indoors in a locked, secured area, so a room that locks is a practical place to start.
In a home with younger family members, this is the condition that decides the location. A room can pass the indoor and street-view tests and still fail this one if anyone can walk in.
The same care carries over once plants are harvested. Our guide on how to store cannabis covers keeping finished cannabis put away at home.
Questions shoppers ask about growing at home
How many cannabis plants can an adult grow at home?
Each adult 21 and older may grow up to three mature and three immature cannabis plants in their primary residence. No more than twelve cannabis plants may be grown at any given time per household. DCP puts it this way: adults 21 years of age and older are able to grow up to 3 mature and 3 immature plants in their home, with a cap of 12 total plants per household.
Can four adults in one home grow twenty-four plants?
No. Derived from the household cap, not a figure the law prints: four adults 21 and older would hold allowances adding up to twenty-four plants, but no more than twelve cannabis plants may be grown at any given time per household, so the home stops at twelve. Two adults 21 and older reach that cap exactly.
Since when can adults 21 and older grow cannabis at home?
Home grow is effective July 1, 2023. The allowance is three mature and three immature plants for each adult 21 or older in their primary residence, inside the household cap of twelve plants. Buying instead of growing is a separate route, and our stores sell only to adults 21 and older with valid ID.
Do medical marijuana patients get a different grow allowance?
DCP says medical marijuana patients 18 years and older may also grow up to 3 mature and 3 immature plants at home. The adult-use allowance described on this page is for adults 21 and older: three mature and three immature plants for each adult in their primary residence, within the twelve-plant household cap.
Can I grow cannabis on a balcony or in the backyard?
No. DCP says home grown plants must be grown indoors and must not be visible from the street, so an outdoor backyard, deck, porch or balcony does not qualify. The allowance covers adults 21 and older growing in their primary residence, and a sunny front window fails if someone on the sidewalk can see the plants.
Can the plants be where someone under 21 could reach them?
No. DCP says home grown plants must be in the primary residence where individuals under 21 cannot access them. In a home with younger family members or visitors, that condition decides the location, because a room can pass the indoor and street-view tests and still fail it if anyone can walk in. Adult-use growing is for adults 21 and older.
Next reads, or buying instead of growing
Growing at home and consuming at home are separate questions, and our guide to where you can legally smoke weed in Connecticut answers the second one. For how much cannabis an adult 21 or older may carry and keep, see our page on Connecticut cannabis possession limits, and for the wider legal picture, our overview of Connecticut cannabis laws.
If you would rather buy than grow, we prioritize products from licensed Connecticut cultivators and processors, and you can browse our flower selection before you order. Add products to a cart on our live menu and choose pickup, or enter your address at checkout for delivery to a Derby delivery town, and checkout confirms each address. The Derby store's live menu takes scheduled delivery orders. Hartford takes pickup orders only. Only the adult who placed the order, 21 or older with ID that matches, can accept a delivery. If you have a question first, call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837).
