Marijuana Possession Limits by State: How Much You Can Legally Have in 2026

Marijuana possession laws vary widely across the United States. Some states allow adults to legally possess several ounces, while others continue to prohibit recreational marijuana possession entirely.

Even among states with legal marijuana, the rules are far from uniform. Several states allow people to keep substantially more marijuana at home than they may carry in public, while others establish separate limits for marijuana flower, concentrates and edible products.

As of 2026, 24 states and the District of Columbia allow adults 21 and older to legally possess marijuana for nonmedical use.

The table below provides a state-by-state look at recreational marijuana possession limits. Registered medical marijuana patients may be subject to different possession limits.

For a broader breakdown covering legalization, home cultivation, medical marijuana, sales and penalties, visit The Marijuana Herald’s Marijuana Laws by State guide.

New Jersey has one of the country’s highest general public possession limits, allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to six ounces of marijuana.

That does not mean a consumer can purchase six ounces at once. New Jersey dispensaries are generally limited to selling the equivalent of one ounce in a single transaction.

Several other states also have relatively high possession limits. Missouri and New York allow adults to possess up to three ounces, while Maine, Michigan, Nevada and Ohio allow up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana under their respective adult-use laws.

Illinois increased its possession limit for state residents in 2026 to 60 grams of marijuana flower, or a little more than two ounces. Nonresidents remain subject to lower limits.

A number of states distinguish between marijuana carried in public and marijuana stored at a private residence.

Minnesota has one of the largest explicit home-possession allowances, permitting adults to keep up to two pounds of marijuana flower at their private residence while limiting public possession to two ounces.

New York allows adults to store up to five pounds of marijuana at home, while Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island each allow up to 10 ounces under specified conditions.

Oregon allows up to eight ounces of usable marijuana at home compared with two ounces in public. Connecticut allows up to five ounces when stored in a locked container at home or in a locked vehicle compartment.

New Mexico takes a different approach. Adults are generally limited outside the home to two ounces of marijuana, 16 grams of cannabis extract and 800 mg of edible marijuana, but marijuana exceeding those amounts may be stored at the person’s private residence if it is not visible from a public place.

A state’s legal possession limit and its dispensary purchase limit are not necessarily identical.

New Jersey is a clear example. Adults may legally possess up to six ounces, but licensed dispensaries generally may sell only the equivalent of one ounce in a single transaction.

Other states use product-equivalency systems that establish different limits for flower, concentrates, edible products and other forms of marijuana.

Consumers should therefore distinguish between three different rules: how much marijuana they may purchase at one time, how much they may carry in public and how much they may legally keep at home.

An ounce of marijuana flower does not necessarily mean a state allows an ounce of marijuana concentrate.

Many states establish much lower limits for concentrates because of their higher THC concentrations.

For example, Arizona allows possession of up to one ounce of marijuana but limits the concentrate portion to five grams. Washington allows one ounce of usable marijuana but only seven grams of marijuana concentrate.

Other states use THC-based limits for edible products. Delaware allows products containing up to 750 mg of delta-9 THC, while Minnesota permits edible marijuana products and lower-potency hemp edibles containing a combined total of up to 800 mg of THC.

Because the rules differ substantially by product type, people possessing concentrates, edibles or infused products should check the detailed law for their state rather than relying solely on a flower-weight limit.

Penalties for exceeding a marijuana possession limit vary considerably by state and by the amount involved.

Possessing slightly more than the legal limit may result in a civil violation or misdemeanor in some states, while substantially exceeding the limit can result in more serious criminal charges.

Legalization also does not generally protect possession when authorities determine that marijuana is intended for unlawful sale or distribution.

For specific penalty thresholds, select a state in the table above or visit our complete Marijuana Laws by State guide.

No.

Decriminalization and legalization are different policies. A state may reduce possession of a small amount of marijuana to a civil violation, fine or low-level offense without making possession legal.

For that reason, states listed as “No” in the recreational legalization column above may still impose relatively minor penalties for certain possession amounts. The table identifies whether general adult-use possession is actually legal, rather than whether a state has reduced the punishment for possessing marijuana.

Often, yes.

Medical marijuana programs operate separately from recreational marijuana laws in many states. Registered patients may be allowed to possess different quantities, purchase different products, maintain larger supplies or access marijuana in states where recreational possession remains illegal.

Medical limits can also be expressed in very different ways. Some states use ounces, while others use a 30-day, 60-day or 90-day supply, THC limits, product-specific limits or physician-authorized amounts.

The individual state guides linked in the table above include additional information about medical marijuana laws.

State legalization does not authorize interstate transportation of marijuana.

That means a person should not assume that marijuana can legally be taken across a state border simply because marijuana is legal on both sides of the border. The rules governing marijuana within a state do not provide authorization to transport it interstate.

This distinction can be particularly important in regions where several neighboring states have legalized recreational marijuana.

Legal possession also does not automatically mean that marijuana may be grown at home.

Some states with recreational legalization, including Washington, Delaware and New Jersey, prohibit recreational home cultivation. Other states allow adults to grow a specified number of plants.

States that allow home cultivation may also exempt some or all marijuana harvested from legally grown plants from the normal public possession limit when the marijuana remains at the residence or cultivation site.

For a full state-by-state breakdown, see The Marijuana Herald’s Marijuana Home Grow Laws by State guide.

The amount depends on the state. Among states with recreational marijuana legalization, general public possession limits range from about one ounce in several states to as much as six ounces in New Jersey. Product-specific limits may also apply to concentrates and edibles.

New Jersey allows adults 21 and older to possess up to six ounces of marijuana, one of the highest general public possession limits in the country. Some states allow substantially larger quantities when marijuana is stored at a private residence.

In several states, yes. Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island and Connecticut are among the states that allow larger quantities to be stored at home than may generally be carried in public.

No. Medical legalization allows qualifying patients to possess marijuana under the rules of a state medical program. It does not necessarily make recreational possession legal for other adults.

Possessing marijuana in a vehicle may be legal in some states if the person is within the state’s possession limit and complies with storage and open-container requirements. Consuming marijuana while driving and driving while impaired remain illegal. Vehicle-storage requirements vary by state.

This guide focuses primarily on general adult-use possession by people 21 and older. Medical marijuana patients, caregivers and people cultivating marijuana legally may be subject to different limits.

For broader information on legalization, possession, home cultivation, medical marijuana, sales and penalties in every state, visit our Marijuana Laws by State guide.