Even though California has a statewide medical marijuana program, there are many specific local California medical marijuana cultivation laws.

Are you a California medical marijuana patient? Have you considered growing your own weed? As you may know, Proposition 215 made it legal for patients to get weed in 1996, while SB 420 established the rules for dispensaries, cultivation and possession of medical marijuana within California. The baseline that SB 420 set for possession and cultivation reads:

“A qualified patient or primary caregiver may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana per qualified patient. In addition, a qualified patient or primary caregiver may also maintain no more than six mature or 12 immature marijuana plants per qualified patient.”

California is a huge state, with many diverse people, and as you can imagine, many local municipalities have amended the state medical marijuana law with local ordinances, with the primary focus being cultivation. This typically happens when someone in the town decides they don’t like the smell or view of cannabis gardens and brings the issue to their next town meeting.

Local California Medical Marijuana Cultivation Laws

Still interested in growing your own medical marijuana and not sure if there are any specific laws in your town? Well NORML CA has done an excellent job of keeping track of the nuances in the municipalities. The current specific list of exceptions includes the following areas (updated 11/12/13, please check NORML CA for the most current information). If your municipality isn’t listed here, then it’s a safe bet that they abide by the core SB 420 guidelines (8 ounces of dried flowers, 6 mature or 12 immature plants):