The Commission and 935 CMR 501 set two home cultivation lines for registered medical patients: a plant limit that applies to every registered patient, and a Hardship Cultivation Registration for patients who qualify for more. The Commission says it has not yet implemented the hardship program. This page reports the rules and that status as the Commission writes them. It is not a growing guide.
The plant limit for every registered patient
The Commission Know the Laws page says: "Massachusetts law allows registered medical marijuana patients to grow up to twelve flowering and twelve vegetative cannabis plants in your home for personal use." 935 CMR 501.140(3)(c) says a Registered Qualifying Patient may possess up to 12 flowering plants and up to 12 vegetative plants, excluding clones and cuttings.
For comparison, the same Commission page says adult-use consumers may grow no more than six plants, or up to 12 plants for two or more adults. It also says that if you have more than two ounces of cannabis in your home, it must be locked in a secure place.
The Hardship Cultivation Registration
The regulation lets a registered patient apply for a Hardship Cultivation Registration. 935 CMR 501.027(1) lists the situations, which the patient has to show limit their access to a treatment center:
- Verified financial hardship.
- Physical incapacity to access reasonable transportation, with no caregiver who has reliable transportation and no treatment center that will deliver.
- Lack of a treatment center within a reasonable distance of the primary residence, and none that will deliver.
- Lack of access to a medicine essential for the patient's treatment plan.
A registration allows the patient or their personal caregiver to cultivate a limited number of plants sufficient to maintain a 60-day supply for that patient's use only. It is valid for one year and can be renewed, and the Commission is to review a completed application within 30 calendar days. The regulation says a patient is prohibited from possessing or cultivating more than 12 flowering and 12 vegetative plants without it, and that cultivation and storage must be in an enclosed, locked area accessible only to the patient or caregiver.
The Commission status
"The Commission has not yet implemented the Hardship Cultivation Registration program. The Commission is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure this program upholds patients' rights and maintains public health and safety. Please continue to check our website and public meetings for updates."
The Commission repeats this on its patient registration, renewal, caregiver and Know the Laws pages. So the regulation exists, but as of the date this page was read, the Commission says you cannot yet apply. This page does not say when that will change. Check the Commission pages for updates.
What caregivers can and cannot do
The Commission caregiver page lists cultivating marijuana on behalf of a patient who has obtained a Hardship Cultivation Registration among a caregiver's possible duties. It bars a caregiver from growing for their own use unless the caregiver is also a patient with a registration, and from growing to sell or provide marijuana to anyone but the patient.
Local rules
The Commission reminds readers that employers, landlords, cities and towns may have their own policies governing the use of marijuana. A lease can limit what you do at home, so check yours.
Short answers
How many plants can a registered patient grow at home?
The Commission says up to twelve flowering and twelve vegetative plants for personal use, and 935 CMR 501.140(3)(c) says the same, excluding clones and cuttings.
Can I apply for a Hardship Cultivation Registration now?
The Commission says it has not yet implemented the program. Check its pages for updates.
Who can grow for a patient?
The regulation lets the patient or their personal caregiver cultivate under an approved Hardship Cultivation Registration, at the one location named in the application.
Does my landlord or town have a say?
The Commission says employers, landlords, cities and towns may have their own policies, so check them.
More for patients
Sources
Read on October 31, 2026. The state can change its rules, so confirm on its pages before you act.
- Cannabis Control Commission, "Know the Laws" (read October 31, 2026)
- 935 CMR 501.027, hardship cultivation registration (read October 31, 2026)
- 935 CMR 501.140, additional operational requirements for patient sales (read October 31, 2026)
- Cannabis Control Commission, "Register as a New Patient" (read October 31, 2026)
- Cannabis Control Commission, "Register as a New Caregiver" (read October 31, 2026)
- 935 CMR 501.002, definitions (read October 31, 2026)
This page explains how a state program works. It is not medical or legal advice, and it makes no claim about what marijuana does for any health condition. Ask a health professional about your health.
