Marijuana is legal in Missouri for adults 21 and older, including possession, purchases from licensed dispensaries, noncommercial sharing and home cultivation for people who obtain a personal cultivation identification card.
Adults may purchase and possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana or its equivalent. Missouri also allows authorized adults to grow six flowering marijuana plants, six nonflowering plants more than 14 inches tall and six clones under 14 inches tall for personal use.
Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana legalization through Amendment 3 in November 2022. Legal possession began December 8, 2022, and licensed recreational sales began February 3, 2023.
Missouri also maintains a separate medical marijuana program that provides registered patients with higher purchase and possession limits, a lower marijuana tax rate and additional legal protections.
This page covers Missouri marijuana possession limits, legal sales, home cultivation, medical marijuana, taxes, delivery, public consumption and penalties. For laws in other states, visit The Marijuana Herald’s Marijuana Laws by State guide.
Last updated: September 13, 2026
Missouri Marijuana Laws at a Glance
| Law | Current Rule |
|---|---|
| Recreational marijuana | Legal for adults 21 and older |
| Adult possession limit | 3 ounces or equivalent |
| Recreational purchase limit | 3 ounces per transaction |
| Recreational sales | Legal |
| Recreational home grow | 6 flowering plants, 6 nonflowering plants over 14 inches and 6 clones with cultivation authorization |
| Medical marijuana | Legal |
| Medical purchase limit | 6 ounces per 30 days, unless a higher amount is medically authorized |
| Medical possession limit | 12 ounces, or a 60-day supply |
| Medical cultivation possession | Up to a 90-day supply under specified conditions |
| Medical home grow | 6 flowering plants, 6 nonflowering plants over 14 inches and 6 clones with cultivation authorization |
| Public marijuana smoking | Generally illegal |
| Marijuana delivery | Legal through authorized businesses |
| Adult-use marijuana tax | 6% marijuana tax plus ordinary state and local sales taxes and potentially a local marijuana tax |
| Medical marijuana tax | 4% marijuana tax plus ordinary state and local sales taxes |
| Minimum recreational age | 21 |
Is Recreational Marijuana Legal in Missouri?
Yes. Recreational marijuana is legal in Missouri for adults 21 and older.
Article XIV, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution allows adults to purchase, possess, consume, use, transport and share without payment up to 3 ounces of dried marijuana or its equivalent.
Adults may purchase marijuana from licensed comprehensive dispensaries and microbusiness dispensaries.
A medical marijuana card is not required to purchase recreational marijuana.
How Much Marijuana Can You Possess in Missouri?
An adult 21 or older may possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana or its equivalent.
The limit applies to dried marijuana as well as equivalent amounts of concentrates, infused products and other marijuana products under the state’s equivalency rules.
Adults authorized to cultivate marijuana may keep marijuana produced by their plants in excess of the ordinary 3-ounce possession limit at their private residence, provided the excess marijuana is kept in an enclosed, locked space.
Possessing more than 3 ounces can result in penalties, although Missouri provides civil penalties rather than immediate criminal punishment for certain amounts up to twice the legal limit.
How Much Marijuana Can You Buy in Missouri?
An adult 21 or older may purchase up to 3 ounces of marijuana or its equivalent in a single transaction.
Missouri does not require recreational customers to be state residents. Consumers generally need a valid government-issued photo identification establishing that they are at least 21.
A person should not attempt to evade the possession limit by making multiple purchases. Adults may lawfully possess no more than 3 ounces unless a separate protection applies, such as authorized home cultivation or the medical marijuana program.
Can Tourists Buy Marijuana in Missouri?
Yes.
Adults 21 and older visiting Missouri may purchase recreational marijuana from licensed dispensaries.
Missouri does not impose a lower recreational possession limit on nonresidents. Visitors may possess up to 3 ounces under state law.
However, marijuana purchased in Missouri cannot legally be transported across state lines. This remains true even if the neighboring state also allows marijuana.
Can You Grow Marijuana at Home in Missouri?
Yes, but unlike many recreational states, Missouri requires adults to obtain a personal cultivation identification card before growing marijuana.
An authorized adult cultivator may grow up to:
- 6 flowering marijuana plants
- 6 nonflowering marijuana plants more than 14 inches tall
- 6 clones or plants under 14 inches tall
This allows up to 18 plants at different stages of growth for an authorized individual.
The plants must be grown at a private residence and kept in an enclosed, locked space that is not visible from a public place by normal, unaided vision.
The personal cultivation card is valid for 12 months and must be renewed.
How Many Marijuana Plants Can Be Grown at One Missouri Residence?
An individual authorized adult cultivator may have six flowering plants, six nonflowering plants over 14 inches tall and six clones.
Missouri law also limits the number of flowering recreational marijuana plants at a private residence to no more than 12 when multiple authorized adults cultivate at the same location.
Each person must have the required cultivation authorization.
Plants and marijuana produced by the plants that exceed the normal 3-ounce possession allowance must remain at the private residence in an enclosed, locked area.
What Are the Penalties for Breaking Missouri’s Home-Grow Rules?
Missouri imposes specific civil penalties for certain cultivation violations.
An authorized cultivator whose plants are visible from a public place can face a civil penalty of up to $250 and forfeiture of the marijuana.
Failing to keep the plants in a locked space can also result in a civil penalty of up to $250 and forfeiture.
Growing marijuana without the required authorization or substantially exceeding the legal plant limits can expose a person to additional penalties.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Missouri?
Yes.
Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in 2018, and the medical program continues to operate alongside the recreational market.
Registered qualifying patients may purchase marijuana from licensed dispensaries and receive several benefits unavailable to ordinary recreational consumers.
Patients generally may purchase up to 6 ounces of dried, processed marijuana or its equivalent during a 30-day period. A physician or nurse practitioner may authorize a greater amount when there is a compelling medical reason.
What Conditions Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Missouri?
Missouri recognizes a broad range of qualifying medical conditions, including:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Glaucoma
- Intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment
- Chronic medical conditions causing severe or persistent pain
- Conditions causing persistent muscle spasms
- Multiple sclerosis
- Seizures
- Parkinson’s disease
- Tourette syndrome
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and other qualifying debilitating psychiatric disorders
- HIV
- AIDS
- Terminal illness
Missouri also allows medical marijuana when a chronic condition is normally treated with a prescription medication that could lead to physical or psychological dependence and a physician or nurse practitioner determines marijuana could be an effective and safer alternative.
The law additionally gives medical professionals broad discretion to certify other chronic, debilitating or medical conditions.
Examples specifically mentioned in Missouri’s constitution include:
- Hepatitis C
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Autism
- Neuropathies
- Sickle cell anemia
- Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
- Cachexia
- Wasting syndrome
This makes Missouri’s eligibility standard significantly broader than programs that restrict patients to a short fixed list of diagnoses.
How Much Medical Marijuana Can Patients Buy in Missouri?
A registered qualifying patient may generally purchase up to 6 ounces of dried, processed marijuana or its equivalent during a 30-day period.
A physician or nurse practitioner may certify the patient for a greater amount when there is a compelling reason for the higher allowance.
Patients cannot bypass their medical purchase limit by combining medical and recreational purchases in a manner that causes them to exceed the amount they are legally allowed to possess.
How Much Medical Marijuana Can a Patient Possess?
A registered patient who does not cultivate marijuana may generally possess up to a 60-day supply.
Under current Missouri rules, a standard 60-day supply equals 12 ounces of dried marijuana or its equivalent.
Patients authorized to cultivate marijuana may possess up to a 90-day supply, provided marijuana exceeding the ordinary 60-day supply remains on property under their control in an approved enclosed, locked facility.
A patient certified for a higher-than-standard purchase amount may also qualify for correspondingly higher possession limits.
Can Medical Marijuana Patients Grow Marijuana at Home?
Yes, but they must obtain cultivation authorization.
A qualifying patient or authorized caregiver may cultivate for that patient:
- 6 flowering marijuana plants
- 6 nonflowering marijuana plants more than 14 inches tall
- 6 clones under 14 inches tall
Cultivation must occur in an enclosed, locked facility.
Up to two qualifying patients who both have valid cultivation identification cards may share a cultivation area.
Primary caregivers may cultivate for multiple patients, but a caregiver cultivating for more than one patient cannot exceed 24 flowering plants in total.
What Are the Benefits of a Missouri Medical Marijuana Card?
Missouri’s medical program continues to provide meaningful advantages despite recreational legalization.
Registered patients receive:
- A 6-ounce purchase allowance per 30 days instead of the recreational 3-ounce transaction and possession limit
- A standard 12-ounce possession allowance
- Up to a 90-day supply when authorized for medical cultivation
- The ability to receive authorization for more than 6 ounces when medically necessary
- A lower marijuana tax rate
- Medical marijuana access for qualifying patients younger than 21 under applicable rules
- Specific legal protections for qualifying patients
- Certain employment protections that recreational consumers do not receive
Missouri’s constitution generally prohibits employers from discriminating against qualifying medical marijuana patients solely because of their patient status or lawful off-duty medical marijuana use, subject to several important exceptions involving workplace impairment, safety, federal requirements and job-related responsibilities.
Does Missouri Accept Out-of-State Medical Marijuana Cards?
Missouri provides medical marijuana protections for people with substantially equivalent medical marijuana identification or authorization issued by another state or qualifying jurisdiction.
Missouri’s constitution also allows qualifying nonresident patients with equivalent credentials to purchase medical marijuana from Missouri dispensaries in accordance with state regulations.
An out-of-state patient who does not qualify under the medical system may still purchase recreational marijuana if the person is at least 21.
Out-of-state patients cannot use their home-state medical authorization to cultivate marijuana in Missouri. Anyone growing marijuana in Missouri must obtain Missouri cultivation authorization.
Can You Give Marijuana to Another Adult in Missouri?
Yes.
An adult 21 or older may give another adult 21 or older up to 3 ounces of marijuana or its equivalent without receiving payment or other compensation.
The transaction must be a genuine noncommercial transfer.
Selling marijuana without the required license remains illegal. A purported gift tied to a purchase or other compensation can fall outside Missouri’s legal protections.
Is Marijuana Delivery Legal in Missouri?
Yes.
Licensed comprehensive dispensaries and microbusiness dispensaries may provide marijuana delivery to consumers, qualifying patients and caregivers.
Missouri law authorizes qualifying dispensaries to deliver marijuana to an address directed by the customer as long as marijuana may legally be possessed at that location.
Delivery availability can vary depending on the dispensaries serving a particular area.
Where Can You Use Marijuana in Missouri?
Marijuana use is generally allowed on private property where the property owner allows it.
Smoking marijuana in a public place is prohibited unless the area has been specifically licensed or authorized for marijuana consumption.
Missouri law also prohibits marijuana smoking in locations where tobacco smoking is prohibited.
Public marijuana smoking can result in a civil penalty of up to $100.
Private property owners may prohibit or restrict marijuana consumption on their property.
Missouri law does provide one notable protection for tenants: leases entered into after recreational legalization generally cannot completely prohibit lawful marijuana possession and consumption by methods other than smoking.
Can Local Governments Allow Marijuana Consumption Areas?
Yes.
Missouri’s constitution allows local governments to regulate the time and place where marijuana may be smoked in public areas.
Local governments may also establish designated areas for consuming marijuana-infused products, including rules that may allow restaurants to prepare marijuana-infused foods or beverages for same-day on-site consumption.
However, public consumption is not automatically legal simply because recreational marijuana is legal statewide. The particular location must be authorized under applicable local rules.
Can You Use Marijuana in a Car in Missouri?
No.
Missouri law prohibits driving or otherwise operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.
Smoking or consuming marijuana while operating a vehicle is also prohibited.
One significant protection in Missouri law is that a conviction for driving under the influence of marijuana cannot be based solely on the presence of THC or THC metabolites in a person’s system. There must be evidence that the driver was actually under the influence while operating the vehicle.
Marijuana should not be transported across state lines.
Can Local Governments Ban Marijuana Stores in Missouri?
Local governments have limited authority to prohibit recreational marijuana dispensaries.
A city, town, village or county may seek to prohibit nonmedical dispensaries, but the prohibition must be approved by at least 60% of voters.
These votes may occur only during presidential-year general elections under the procedures established by Article XIV.
Local governments may also regulate marijuana businesses through reasonable time, place and manner rules.
Medical marijuana businesses have additional protections against local rules that would make their operation unduly burdensome.
How Is Recreational Marijuana Taxed in Missouri?
Adult-use marijuana is subject to a 6% state marijuana tax.
That marijuana-specific tax is charged in addition to Missouri’s ordinary state and local sales taxes.
Missouri’s general state sales tax rate is 4.225%, with additional local sales taxes varying by location.
Cities or counties may also impose an additional voter-approved adult-use marijuana tax of up to 3%.
However, a 2025 Missouri Supreme Court ruling limited the stacking of those special local marijuana taxes. Under current Department of Revenue guidance, a county’s additional adult-use marijuana tax applies in the county’s unincorporated areas rather than being stacked on top of a city’s separate marijuana tax inside that city.
The final tax paid on a recreational purchase therefore varies depending on where the dispensary is located.
How Is Medical Marijuana Taxed in Missouri?
Medical marijuana is subject to a 4% state marijuana tax, compared with the 6% marijuana-specific tax imposed on recreational sales.
Medical purchases are also subject to ordinary applicable state and local sales taxes.
The lower marijuana-specific tax is one of the financial advantages of maintaining a Missouri medical marijuana card.
Local governments cannot impose the same additional 3% adult-use marijuana tax on medical marijuana sales.
What Are the Penalties for Possessing Too Much Marijuana in Missouri?
Adults 21 and older may legally possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana or its equivalent.
Missouri provides relatively modest penalties when an adult exceeds that limit but possesses no more than twice the legal amount.
| Violation involving no more than twice the legal amount | Penalty |
|---|---|
| First violation | Civil infraction, up to $250 fine and forfeiture |
| Second violation | Civil infraction, up to $500 fine and forfeiture |
| Third or subsequent violation | Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine and forfeiture |
For ordinary possession, this framework generally covers amounts above 3 ounces through 6 ounces.
Possession of more than twice the legal amount falls outside these protections and may result in criminal charges under other Missouri controlled-substance laws, depending on the amount and circumstances.
What Are the Marijuana Penalties for People Under 21?
Recreational marijuana is limited to adults 21 and older.
A person younger than 21 who possesses, uses or transports up to 3 ounces of marijuana is generally subject to:
- A civil penalty of up to $100
- Forfeiture of the marijuana
- The option of completing up to four hours of drug education or counseling instead of paying the fine
Possession of greater amounts can result in higher civil penalties or other consequences.
Qualifying medical marijuana patients younger than 21 are governed separately by Missouri’s medical marijuana law.
What Changed With Missouri Marijuana Laws in 2026?
Missouri’s basic adult possession, purchase and home cultivation limits remained unchanged in 2026, but the regulated marijuana market continued expanding.
Third and Final Microbusiness Lottery
On September 9, 2026, the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation announced the results of the third and final scheduled round of marijuana microbusiness lottery selections.
The state received 888 applications during the July 13 through July 27 application period.
Selected applications must still undergo eligibility review. Missouri expects to issue approximately 77 microbusiness licenses beginning in December 2026, including about 20 licenses available because licenses from previous rounds were surrendered or revoked.
Microbusiness licenses are intended to provide opportunities for people and communities affected by marijuana prohibition to participate in Missouri’s legal marijuana industry.
Marijuana Research Rules
The Division of Cannabis Regulation also continued developing rules in 2026 for marijuana research facilities, filing proposed regulations in April.
These business and regulatory developments did not change the state’s basic personal possession limit of 3 ounces or its authorized home cultivation allowance.
Related Marijuana Laws and Protections
Residents should also be aware that legalization does not eliminate restrictions on impaired driving or guarantee workplace protections. See our guides to marijuana DUI laws by state and marijuana employment laws for a broader look at how Illinois compares with other states.
People with past marijuana convictions may also qualify for record-clearing relief. Our Marijuana Expungement Laws by State guide explains how all 50 states handle expungement and related relief.
Official Sources
Missouri Constitution, Article XIV, Section 2: Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Personal Use
Missouri Revisor of Statutes: Article XIV, Section 2
Missouri Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1: Medical Marijuana
Missouri Revisor of Statutes: Article XIV, Section 1
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: Patient and Consumer FAQs
Patient and Consumer Marijuana FAQs
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: Marijuana Cultivation Rules
Cannabis Cultivation Fact Sheet
Missouri Department of Revenue: Marijuana Taxes
Missouri Marijuana Tax Information
