The short answer: 1 ounce in public, and Minnesota and Michigan lead at home

In most U.S. states with legal adult-use cannabis, an adult 21 or older may legally possess 1 ounce (28.35 grams) of flower in public. That single number covers California, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, Alaska, Montana and several others, with small variations for concentrates and edibles.

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If you want the most generous limit in the country, Minnesota is the pick: 2 ounces in public and up to 2 pounds at home for adults 21 and older. Michigan is close behind at 2.5 ounces in public and 10 ounces at home. Colorado, Missouri and New York sit in the same broad tier with 2 to 3 ounces. Three variables decide which number applies to you: whether you are in public or at home, what form the product takes (flower, concentrate, or edible), and whether you hold a medical card or an out-of-state ID.

how many grams get you a felony

Federal law is a separate matter and never legalizes possession, even when a state does.

marijuana possession charges first offense

What actually counts toward the limit

States do not measure cannabis by weight alone, which is where most people get caught out. A legal ounce of flower and a legal ounce of wax are different quantities under the same statute.

Federal Cannabis Possession Laws: Penalties, Pardons, and State Rights

Public possession, home possession and retail purchase limits are three different rules. Buying an ounce in one transaction is a store rule. Keeping 10 ounces in a locked cabinet at home is a possession rule. Carrying it down the sidewalk is a third.

The most generous limits: 2 ounces and up

Minnesota

Adults 21 and older may carry 2 ounces of flower in public and keep up to 2 pounds at home, plus grow up to 8 plants, of which 4 can be mature. The 2 pound home allowance is the highest widely cited figure among legal adult-use states.

Michigan

Adults may possess 2.5 ounces of flower in public and up to 10 ounces at home, along with 15 grams of concentrate and 16 ounces of edibles. Home cultivation is allowed up to 12 plants.

Colorado, New York, Missouri and Ohio

Colorado allows 2 ounces of possession, though a single retail transaction is limited to 1 ounce. New York allows 3 ounces of flower and 24 grams of concentrate, with a higher in-home allowance. Missouri allows 3 ounces and 6 plants. Ohio allows 2.5 ounces of flower and 15 grams of extract with up to 6 plants per household.

Pros of living under a generous limit

Cons

The one-ounce states

California allows 28.5 grams of flower and 8 grams of concentrate for adults 21 and older, plus 6 plants at home. Washington allows 1 ounce of flower, 7 grams of concentrate, 16 ounces of solid edibles and 72 ounces of liquid edibles. Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Alaska, Montana, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maine (2.5 ounces) and New Mexico (2 ounces) all sit in the same neighborhood: carry about an ounce, keep yourself under a small concentrate cap, and stay sober in the car.

Pros

Cons

Mid-range limits and state-specific quirks

Illinois caps residents at 30 grams of flower, 5 grams of concentrate and 500 mg of THC in edibles, while non-residents get half those amounts. Maryland allows 1.5 ounces and 2 plants. Connecticut allows 1.5 ounces with limited home grow. Maine allows 2.5 ounces and up to 3 flowering plants. Massachusetts allows 1 ounce in public but 10 ounces at home, and a household can hold up to 12 plants.

Pros of mid-range states

Cons

Medical patients and out-of-state visitors

Medical cardholders often get a higher ceiling. New Jersey medical patients can possess up to 3 ounces while adult-use buyers are capped lower. States with no adult-use market at all, such as Florida and Hawaii, still allow registered patients to carry a set amount, commonly 2.5 to 4 ounces.

Visitors face a patchwork. Some states extend full adult-use possession rights to anyone 21 and older who is physically present. Others impose lower purchase or possession caps on out-of-state IDs. No state recognizes another state's medical card at the register, and a few do not recognize it for possession either.

Federal law and federal land

Cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Federal simple possession can carry up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine for a first offense. That matters even in a legal state, because national parks, military bases, federal buildings, airports under federal control and interstate highways are governed by federal rules. Carrying a legal amount across a state line is a federal offense regardless of what either state allows.

Practical checklist to stay inside the limit

  1. Look up the current statute or the state cannabis regulator's site for the state you are standing in, not the state on your license.
  2. Separate your flower, concentrate and edible totals. Each has its own cap in most states.
  3. Treat the purchase limit and the possession limit as different numbers.
  4. Keep cannabis out of the car's passenger area, and never use it while driving.
  5. Leave it home before entering federal land, a national park, or an airport.
  6. If you hold a medical card, check whether the higher medical cap applies where you are, not where you were certified.

Which limit applies to you

For a typical adult-use consumer who keeps a personal supply at home and carries a little, a one-ounce state is workable and a two-ounce state is comfortable. If you buy in bulk to reduce trips, or you grow your own, target Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Missouri, New York or Ohio, where the home limits run from 2 ounces to 2 pounds. If you are a registered patient, check your state's medical cap first, because it is usually the higher of the two numbers and it is the one a dispensary will record. Whoever you are, verify the figure with the state regulator before you travel, since possession limits change with almost every legislative session.