New York regulators approved home grown cannabis rules this week, allowing adult New Yorkers to now possess up to 12 cannabis plants and five pounds of marijuana per household.
But regulators urged anyone considering growing marijuana at home to review the finalized rules to avoid potential legal and housing troubles. They added New York prohibited the at-home use of some cannabis-based drug extraction methods that have resulted in explosions and personal injuries in other states.
Where can you grow marijuana in NY?
Cannabis can be grown in residences that you own or rent, like a room, home, apartment, mobile home, co-op or other residential spaces. Landlords can only refuse to lease space to or penalize a tenant if they risk losing federal benefits, state records show. The rules allow for ages 21 and up to grow cannabis at home — indoors or outside.
How to get started growing marijuana
Cannabis seeds can be purchased from commercial retailers. Immature plants can be purchased from New York licensed dispensaries, microbusinesses, or other entities authorized by the state Office of Cannabis Management.
How much marijuana can you grow?
New Yorkers can grow up to six plants in their home for personal use — three mature plants and three immature plants. There is also a maximum of twelve plants per household — six mature plants and six immature plants — even if there are three or more adults 21 and over in the residence.
What is prohibited for home-grow marijuana?
Cannabis plants must be kept in a secure place and not accessible to any person under 21. It is also illegal to make cannabis hash oil or concentrates using substances like butane, propane, or alcohol with home grown cannabis, state records show. That is because people trying to make these super-strong marijuana products in other states, such as Colorado, botched the methods and ignited fires and explosions.
You must take reasonable measures to prevent cannabis odor from becoming a nuisance to neighboring residents such as co-planting items like lavender in an outdoor garden or using a carbon filter for indoor cultivation, state records show.
Cannabis in NY:NY marijuana legalization: See dispensaries map, timeline
Can your community ban home-grow marijuana in NY?
No. But local municipalities may enact and enforce regulations relating to home cultivation of cannabis provided they don’t “completely ban or prohibit home cultivation.”
How to grow cannabis more safely
Growing cannabis plants indoors requires a lot of energy and can overload electrical circuits and cause fires, so regulators urged New Yorkers to lower the risk of electrical fires. They asked that you consider using LED lights and consult an electrician about your cultivation set up. Also keep the growing area clean, uncrowded, and well ventilated.
Monitoring indoor air quality is also important in safe home grows. Be sure to control mold/fungus by reducing moisture sources and using a dehumidifier, humidity monitor, and fans to ensure proper ventilation. Moldy cannabis is not safe to consume, state officials noted. If growing outside, limit unwanted access or theft by installing measures to reduce the public’s view, like fences or other tall and bushy plants, state officials noted.
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