Growing at home in Arizona: six plants, twelve plants, and the 25-mile rule.

Two separate systems, two separate limits, and the one that decides which applies to you is a tape measure, not a card.

Adult-use: six plants

Since Proposition 207, any Arizona adult of 21 or over may cultivate up to six marijuana plants at their primary residence, in a closet, room, greenhouse or other enclosed area with a lock, out of public view. A household with two or more adults is capped at twelve plants total — the per-person limit does not stack beyond that.

Medical: twelve plants, with a condition attached

A registered patient may cultivate up to twelve plants — but only if their residence is more than 25 miles from the nearest operating dispensary. The reasoning is access: the allowance exists for people the dispensary network does not reach.

In practice, that rules out most of the state’s population. Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tucson are all thoroughly inside the 25-mile radius of several dispensaries. The rule bites in the rural stretches: parts of Apache, Navajo, Greenlee and La Paz counties, and the long gaps along the I-40 and US-191.

AZDHS checks the distance against your registered address when you apply, and your card shows whether cultivation is authorized. It is not something you decide for yourself.

If you are inside 25 miles

You still have the adult-use route: six plants, same enclosure rules, no card required if you are 21 or over. The card gets you the tax exemption and the possession limit, not extra plants.

What “enclosed and locked” means in practice

• Not visible from the street, a sidewalk, or a neighbor’s window.
• A lock that keeps out anyone under 21 — a closet with a padlock counts, an open backyard does not.
• At your primary residence. You cannot grow at a second property or a friend’s house.
• Renting? Your lease can forbid it, and in Arizona the lease wins. The same goes for HOA rules.

What happens if you exceed the limit

Growing without the authorization, or past the plant count, is not treated as an administrative slip. It is a felony, and the card does not retroactively cover plants you were not entitled to grow. Count them honestly, seedlings included.

Questions people actually ask

Do seedlings and clones count toward the limit?

Assume yes. Arizona does not give you a free allowance of immature plants the way some states do.

Can my caregiver grow for me?

Yes, if you are authorized to cultivate. A caregiver may grow up to twelve plants for each such patient — see the caregiver card.

Can I give away what I grow?

Adult-use rules allow gifting small amounts between adults 21+ without payment. Selling it is a different offense entirely, and “gifting” with a suspiciously priced sticker attached has been prosecuted as a sale.

Does a new dispensary opening nearby cancel my cultivation rights?

It can, at renewal. The distance is re-checked when you renew, so an authorization is not permanent.

This page summarizes Arizona law as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. Cultivation rules are enforced locally as well as by the state; check city and HOA rules too.