After months of discussion New York officials have approved regulations allowing those 21 and older to grow recreational marijuana at home for personal use.
New York is one of 24 states that have legalized recreational marijuana, but one of just three of those that don’t currently allow personal marijuana cultivation. The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) gave approval to rules last week that would change this by allowing adults to grow up to six marijuana plants at a private residence, no more than three of which can be mature. The rules must now go through a legally required 60-day public comment period before they can be finalized.
Under the rules approved by the CCB, up to five pounds could be harvested from the three mature marijuana plants. Licensed providers would be authorized to sell marijuana seeds as well as immature plants.
New York’s law allowing recreational marijuana was passed through the legislature and signed into law in 2021. The law allows those 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of marijuana and up to 24 grams of marijuana concentrates. The law allows licensed marijuana retail outlets, but a slow rollout of the state’s legal marijuana market has resulted in only a few dozen marijuana stores opening throughout the state.
The law approved in 2021 authorized personal marijuana cultivation, but only after the CCB established and approved regulations specifying the rules.