What State Can You Grow the Most Weed: A Legal Overview

If you’re wondering what state can you grow the most weed in, the answer varies based on legal status, allowable plant counts, licensing requirements, and climate. Here’s a quick overview:

California and Colorado are top picks due to their legal frameworks, climate, and industry support.
Oregon and Washington also offer favorable conditions for cannabis cultivation.

Each state has its own rules regarding how many plants you can grow for personal or medical use, the cost and process of obtaining a license for larger operations, and geographical factors that make certain states better for cultivation. Growing cannabis is subject to state laws, and navigating these can be complex due to varying regulations, licensing fees, and the ongoing federal illegality of cannabis.

Quick Comparison

State	Legal Status	Plant Count Limits	Licensing Fees	Climate
California	Recreational/Medical	Up to 6 plants for personal use; no limit for medical use	$1,205 to $120,500 depending on operation size	Very suitable
Colorado	Recreational/Medical	Up to 6 plants for personal use; business limits depend on license type	$2,500 to $35,000 depending on operation size	Suitable
Oregon	Recreational/Medical	Up to 4 plants for personal use; up to 6 mature plants and 24 oz usable product for medical use	$250 to $5,750 depending on license type	Good for outdoor and greenhouse grows
Washington	Recreational/Medical	Up to 6 plants for personal use; varies for medical grows	$250 to $6,000 depending on license type	Suitable for outdoor grows

Understanding the specifics of cannabis cultivation laws in your state is crucial to staying compliant and making the most of the growing opportunities available.

Early Days of State Medical Cannabis Laws

Back in 1996, California was the first state to say it’s okay to use weed for health problems. This started a trend, and by 2014, 23 states plus Washington D.C. were on board. At first, these laws didn’t really talk about how to grow weed on a big scale. Some places like Maine started to figure it out by letting medical weed shops open, but there wasn’t a clear plan for big weed farms.

Proliferation of Adult-Use Laws

Everything changed in 2012 when Colorado and Washington said adults could use weed for fun, not just for health. They set up rules for growing and selling weed, making it a real business. Since then, 18 states have followed, creating a mix of rules for both medical and fun use. Now, there’s a push for bigger weed farms to meet the demand.

Federal Illegality Causes Challenges

Even with states making their own rules, the U.S. government still says weed is illegal. This makes it hard for weed businesses to work with banks and move products between states. Without banks, these businesses deal with a lot of cash, which can be risky. And not being able to share weed products between states limits how big these businesses can get. The biggest roadblock is still the government saying no to weed.

The Path Forward

Though the government and states don’t agree, more and more states are making it legal to grow and sell weed. As this keeps happening, we’ll see more weed being grown to keep up with people wanting to buy it. States are trying different ways to keep track of weed from when it’s planted to when it’s sold. If the government ever changes its mind and lets weed move between states and work with banks, the weed business could really take off.

Criteria for Comparison

When we’re trying to figure out which states let you grow the most weed, we look at a few important things:

Legal Status

First, we check if weed is legal in the state. States where weed is legal for anyone old enough (not just for medical reasons) usually let you grow more. We’ll focus on these states.

Allowable Plant Counts

In states where weed is legal, how many plants you can grow at home changes a lot. For big weed farms, some states limit how much space you can use. More plants or bigger farms usually mean you can grow more weed.

Licensing Requirements

Getting permission to grow weed on a big scale also matters. In some places, it’s tough because they don’t give out many licenses. In others, it’s easier. More licenses mean more big weed farms.

Geographical Factors

Where a state is located matters too. States with warm weather and lots of land are better for growing weed. California and Colorado are good examples. Colder places or states with less outdoor space aren’t as good.

Keeping these things in mind, we can find out which states are the best for growing a lot of weed legally. The best states for this let you grow a little for yourself and a lot if you want to start a big farm, especially if they also have good weather and lots of space.

Top States for Cannabis Cultivation

1. California

Legal Status

In California, adults 21 and older can have and use weed for fun or health reasons. They can also grow up to 6 plants at home for their own use. The state has strong rules for medical marijuana too.

Plant Count Limits

For personal use, you can grow up to 6 plants at home. If you’re using it for medical reasons, there’s no set limit on how many plants you can have, but some local places might have their own rules.

Licensing Requirements and Fees

If you want to grow weed as a business in California, it’s a big process. You need permission from the state and your local area. The cost to apply can be anywhere from $1,205 to $120,500, depending on how big your grow operation is. You also need to share your business plans and pass a background check.

Climate and Geographical Considerations

California is a great place to grow weed because of its long growing season, lots of sun, and big areas of farm land. The Emerald Triangle, which includes Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties, is famous for growing top-notch weed. The Central Valley also has the right weather and space for growing a lot of weed.

2. Colorado

Legal Status

Since 2012, Colorado has made it okay for adults 21 and older to use and sell cannabis for fun, thanks to voters saying yes to Amendment 64. The state also has a strong program for medical marijuana.

Plant Count Limits

If you’re growing cannabis just for yourself in Colorado, you can have up to 6 plants. But, no more than 12 plants are allowed in one house. People with medical needs might be allowed to grow more, depending on what their doctor says. For businesses, how many plants you can grow depends on the type of license you have.

Licensing Requirements and Fees

To grow cannabis for selling, you need a license from the state and your local area. The cost for a license can be between $2,500 and $35,000, based on how big your operation is. Everyone applying must pass a background check, and the place where you grow has to meet certain safety and operation rules.

Climate and Geographical Considerations

Colorado is a good place for growing cannabis because it’s high up, not too humid, gets a lot of sun, and has mild temperatures. There’s also plenty of farm land, especially in the southern part of the state. The San Luis Valley is known for big outdoor growing operations. For growing indoors, there’s lots of warehouse space available near the Front Range.

3. Oregon

Legal Status (Recreational/Medical)

Since 1998, Oregon has been okay with people using marijuana for health reasons. In 2014, they also said it’s fine for adults over 21 to use it just for fun. So, in Oregon, you can use marijuana either for health or just because, and there are rules to follow for both.

Plant Count Limits

If you’re just growing weed at your house for fun, you can have up to 4 plants. If you need it for medical reasons, you can have a lot more: up to 24 ounces of the plant ready to use and up to 6 plants that are fully grown.

Licensing Requirements and Fees

To grow and sell marijuana as a business in Oregon, you need a special okay from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). They have different kinds of okays for:

Growing
Making extracts and concentrates
Selling wholesale
Selling directly to people

The cost for getting this okay depends on what part of the business you’re in, ranging from $250 for a worker’s permit to $5,750 for big growing operations. You need to tell them how you plan to run your business, pass a check on your background, and make sure your place meets certain safety and operation standards.

Climate and Geographical Considerations

Oregon has a pretty mild and wet climate, with lots of rain, which is good for growing weed, especially outdoors or in greenhouses. The Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, and places near the Columbia River are great for growing weed outside. If you’re growing inside, Oregon’s lower electricity costs can help.

4. Washington

Legal Status (Recreational/Medical)

In 1998, Washington said yes to medical marijuana, and in 2012, they also said it’s okay for adults 21 and older to have and use marijuana just for fun. This was after people voted for Initiative 502. There’s also a program for people who need marijuana for health reasons that started in 2010.

Plant Count Limits

If you’re using marijuana just for yourself, you can have up to 6 plants at your house. But, your whole house can’t have more than 15 plants. If you’re taking care of someone who needs marijuana for health reasons, you can grow plants for up to 4 people, and you might be allowed to have more plants based on what they need.

Licensing Requirements and Fees

To start a business that grows and processes marijuana in Washington, you need to get a license from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB). The cost for a license can be from $250 to $6000, depending on what your business does. You’ll need to pass a background check, show you have enough money, explain how your business will work, and make sure your place is okay for growing or processing.

Climate and Geographical Considerations

The weather in Washington, especially on the west side of the Cascades, is usually warm, sunny, and dry in the summer. This is good for growing marijuana outside. But, growing outside can have problems like mold, bugs, and people trying to steal your plants. A lot of businesses choose to grow inside, especially on the east side of the Cascades where it’s colder and wetter in the winter. The middle and east parts of the state have cheaper land and big buildings that are good for growing a lot of marijuana inside.

Comparative Analysis

State	Legal Status (Recreational/Medical)	Plant Count Limits	Licensing Fees	Climate
California	Recreational/Medical	Up to 6 plants for personal use; no limit for medical use	$1,205 to $120,500 depending on operation size	Warm climate, plenty of sun and land make it very suitable
Colorado	Recreational/Medical	Up to 6 plants for personal use; business limits depend on license type	$2,500 to $35,000 depending on operation size	High elevation, sunny, mild temps make it suitable
Oregon	Recreational/Medical	Up to 4 plants for personal recreational use; up to 6 mature plants and 24 oz usable product for medical use	$250 to $5,750 depending on license type	Mild, wet climate good for outdoor and greenhouse grows
Washington	Recreational/Medical	Up to 6 plants for personal use; up to 4 patients worth for medical grows	$250 to $6,000 depending on license type	Warm, sunny summers west of Cascades suitable for outdoor grows

The best states for growing weed let you use it for fun and health reasons. This means you can grow a few plants for yourself or a lot if you want to start a big farm.

Here’s what helps these states grow more weed:

Good weather and places to grow – Lots of sunlight, nice weather, and plenty of space mean you can grow weed all year.
You can grow more plants – You’re allowed to grow a few plants at home. For big farms, how many plants you can grow depends on getting a special permit.
Easy to get a permit – There are steps to follow if you want to grow weed for selling. This helps more people start big weed farms.
Cost of getting a permit – Getting started can cost a little or a lot, depending on how big your weed farm is. Cheaper permits help more people start growing.

By making it legal and setting up rules, these top weed states let people and businesses grow a lot of weed. They’re leading the way in making the most of the weed business.

Challenges and Considerations

Even when states say it’s okay to grow and sell weed, people who want to start these businesses still run into a lot of problems.

Conflicting Local, State, and Federal Laws

The biggest headache is that the U.S. government still thinks growing, having, and selling weed is against the law. So, even if your state is cool with it, you could still end up in trouble with the big guys. This situation makes everyday things like getting loans or accepting credit cards really tough for weed businesses. Plus, some local areas have their own rules that are different from the state’s rules, which just adds to the confusion. Businesses have to keep up with all these different laws, and that costs a lot of time and money.

Strict Regulations and Compliance

In places where weed is legal, there are loads of rules about how to grow it and sell it. Things like keeping track of plants, testing products in labs, paying different fees and taxes, and making sure your place is secure can eat into profits. One report said businesses might spend more than $700,000 a year just to keep up with these rules. And since the rules change all the time, businesses have to constantly adjust. Even small mistakes can lead to big fines or losing your license to operate.

Access to Banking and Financial Services

Because the federal government is still against weed, most banks and credit unions stay away from weed businesses. This makes it hard to start and grow a business because you can’t get a bank account or investment money easily. A lot of weed businesses end up dealing with a lot of cash, which can be unsafe. Some states are trying to create local banks for weed businesses, but it’s still a big problem.

Supply Chain and Distribution Hurdles

In most states, you can only sell weed products to people who live there. Trying to sell to people in other states, even where weed is legal, would break federal laws. This limits who you can sell to. It also makes it tough to get the seeds, equipment, and other stuff needed to grow weed and make products. This means businesses often pay more for what they need.

As more states make weed legal, these problems will stick around until the federal government changes its stance. Despite these challenges, people spend billions on legal weed every year. But solving these issues could make the weed industry even bigger.

The Future of Cannabis Cultivation in the US

As more places say yes to weed for health and fun, there are more chances for people to grow it big time. Here’s what’s happening and what might change in the world of legal weed farming in the US:

Continued Expansion of Legalization

Lately, a bunch of states have made weed legal, first for health reasons and now just for kicks. Most folks think the whole country might make it legal in the next 5-10 years. As more states join in, we’ll see more big weed farms popping up.

Keep an eye on states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut, and others thinking about making weed legal. Big places like New York, Florida, and Texas could really shake things up if they decide to legalize it.

Consolidation and Big Business

In the beginning, small growers were all over the place. But now, big companies are getting into the game. We’re going to see more big businesses taking over because they want to grow more weed and control the market.

Some companies are even building huge greenhouses to grow a lot of weed. They’re also working on creating their own special weed strains, using new farming tech, and figuring out how to get their weed to people in different states.

Increased Investment and Capital

Because the government still says weed is a no-go, it’s been hard for weed businesses to get money from banks or investors. But as more states say it’s okay, more money is starting to flow in from rich people and big companies.

Big investors are starting to put money into big weed farms because they see it’s a good chance to make money. This means we might see farms using robots, special sensors, and other cool tech to grow weed better and faster.

Shifting Supply Chains

States that were first to legalize weed had too much of it at first, and prices went down. But now, new places that just made it legal are running out of weed, which is a chance for growers.

For example, Illinois had more people wanting to buy weed than they could supply. Growers in these new markets could make a lot of money if they play their cards right. But, they also have to be careful not to grow too much weed.

Ongoing Regulatory Changes

As the weed market grows, the rules keep changing, which can make things tough. California’s recent rule changes show how hard it can be to keep up with what’s allowed and what’s not.

Following all the rules, from tracking every plant to making sure you’re using water and electricity right, can be expensive. And since the rules about weed keep changing, growers have to stay on their toes to keep up.

In short, growing weed legally has a lot of chances to make money, but it’s not always easy. There are rules to follow, money to find, and the market keeps changing. But for growers who know what they’re doing, there’s a lot of potential.

Conclusion

Growing weed legally in the U.S. is pretty complicated because the whole country hasn’t agreed it’s okay yet. But, more and more states are letting people grow weed for medicine or just for fun. This means there are chances to start growing weed on a big scale.

When we look at all the states, California and Colorado are the best places to grow a lot of weed. They were some of the first to say it’s okay to use weed for fun, they have great weather, lots of land, and it’s not too hard to get permission to start growing. Both states let you grow up to six plants for yourself, and they have rules for starting bigger weed farms. California is especially good because of its sunny weather and big open spaces.

But, even in places where it’s legal, growing weed can be tough. There are different rules everywhere, it’s hard to get money from banks, and moving weed or getting supplies can be a problem. As the weed business keeps growing, we’ll probably see more states making it legal, bigger companies getting involved, more money coming in, and rules changing.

If you want to grow weed, you need to really understand the rules in your state, figure out how to deal with all the paperwork and rules, find money to start your business, and be ready to change how you do things as new rules come out.

To help more states grow more weed legally, they need to:

Make laws that let people use weed for fun, not just for medicine
Let people grow a few plants at home and make it easy to start big weed farms
Have fair fees and help people follow the rules
Help weed businesses deal with money and banks
Support small growers with good policies
Look at what’s working in states that are already growing a lot of weed

As legal weed gets more popular, we might see it being grown in different places, both inside and outside. If the whole country ever agrees it’s okay, we could see weed being sold from one state to another. But for now, if you want to grow weed, you have to deal with a lot of different state rules.

What state is weed 100% legal?

In 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, adults who are 21 and older can use weed just for fun. These states include:

Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Illinois
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Montana
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Virginia
Washington

These places have made rules that say it’s okay for adults to use weed for fun. But, because the big government in the U.S. still has issues with it, there are some problems that keep coming up.

What is the number one state for weed?

California is the top dog when it comes to weed in the U.S. Here’s why:

It sold over $5.2 billion worth of legal weed in 2021
It has more than 3,600 places to buy weed, which is more than any other state
Almost everyone in California lives close to a weed shop
It makes up more than a third of all the weed sold legally in the U.S.

California got in early on making weed legal, has a lot of people, and the weather is great for growing weed. That’s why it’s ahead of the game.

How many plants can I grow in Missouri without a license?

In Missouri, if you need weed for health reasons, you can grow up to 18 plants at your house, but here’s the breakdown:

6 plants that are ready to make buds
6 plants that are growing but not ready to bud
6 baby plants or small cuttings

You can do this because of a rule called Amendment 2 and other state laws. But remember, you can’t grow plants at home just for fun; it’s only for medical reasons.

What is the cheapest state to open a dispensary?

Oklahoma is a good place to think about if you want to open a shop that sells medical weed because it doesn’t cost a lot:

You need $2,500 for a license to open a dispensary
Starting up might cost you between $80,000 and $150,000
Every month, you might spend around $50,000 to keep things running

Oklahoma makes it easier and cheaper to get into the business of selling medical weed compared to other states.