Is marijuana legal in Missouri?
Yes. As of 2026, marijuana (weed) is legal in Missouri for adults 21 and older, who can buy up to three ounces at a licensed dispensary and grow plants at home with a state cultivation card. Medical marijuana is also legal.
Status checked November 4, 2026
Contents
Marijuana laws in Missouri
Missouri voters legalized adult-use marijuana by passing Amendment 3 on November 8, 2022. Article XIV, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution took effect December 8, 2022. Medical marijuana has been legal since voters approved Amendment 2 in 2018. The Department of Health and Senior Services regulates the market.
Adults 21 and older may purchase, possess, consume, transport and give away without payment three ounces or less of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent. They may grow up to six flowering plants, six nonflowering plants over fourteen inches tall, and six clones under fourteen inches tall if they register with the department for cultivation. Plants and any marijuana over three ounces must be kept at one private residence, in a locked space, and not visible from a public place. No more than twelve flowering plants may be at a private residence at one time.
Licensed comprehensive dispensaries sell to adults 21 and older. The constitution says the section is not intended to allow public use, driving under the influence, workplace use, or use by people under 21.
Employers are not required to allow marijuana at work and may discipline someone for working while under the influence. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, apart from state-licensed medical marijuana, which moved to Schedule III in April 2026.
Missouri State Capitol, Jefferson City Photo: Adobe Stock (editorial use only).
What the law says
Legal
- Purchasing, possessing, consuming, using, ingesting, inhaling, processing, transporting, delivering without consideration, or distributing without consideration three ounces or less of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent
- Possessing, transporting, planting, cultivating, harvesting, drying, processing, or manufacturing up to six flowering marijuana plants, six nonflowering marijuana plants (over fourteen inches tall), and six clones (plants under fourteen inches tall) provided the person is registered with the department for cultivation of marijuana plants under this section
Not legal
- Consumption of marijuana in a public place, other than in an area licensed by the authorities having jurisdiction over the licensing and/or permitting of said activity
- This section does not require an employer to permit or accommodate conduct otherwise allowed by this section in any workplace or on the employer's property.
- This section does not prevent an employer from refusing to hire, discharging, disciplining, or otherwise taking an adverse employment action against a person with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because that person was working while under the influence of marijuana.
Quoted from Missouri Constitution Article XIV, Section 2.
How old do you have to be to use marijuana in Missouri?
You have to be 21 to buy weed in Missouri for adult use. Article XIV makes purchase, possession, consumption and home cultivation lawful for people at least 21 years old. Medical marijuana remains available to qualifying patients, including some younger patients with a caregiver, under Article XIV, Section 1. Licensed dispensaries sell adult-use marijuana only to consumers 21 and older who show a valid ID.
How much marijuana can you have in Missouri?
Adults 21 and older in Missouri can have up to three ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent. That limit covers purchase, possession, consumption, transport and giving it away without payment. At home, if you have a cultivation registration, plants and any marijuana over three ounces must stay at one private residence, in a locked space, and out of public view. The constitution does not create a separate higher car limit; the three-ounce cap applies when you are carrying marijuana.
Where can you buy marijuana in Missouri?
You can buy weed in Missouri at licensed comprehensive marijuana dispensary facilities regulated by the Department of Health and Senior Services. Adults 21 and older may purchase up to three ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent, in a transaction. Medical patients buy under the medical program at the same or related licensed facilities. Buying from an unlicensed seller is not legal.
Can you grow marijuana at home in Missouri?
Yes, if you register. Adults 21 and older in Missouri can grow up to six flowering plants, six nonflowering plants over fourteen inches, and six clones under fourteen inches if they have a cultivation registration card from the Department of Health and Senior Services. The annual card fee starts at $100 and is adjusted for inflation. Plants and extra marijuana over three ounces must be locked at one private residence and not visible from a public place. A residence may have no more than twelve flowering plants at once.
Where can you use marijuana in Missouri?
You can smoke weed in Missouri on private property. The constitution does not allow consumption in a public place, except in an area licensed for that activity. It also is not intended to allow the use of marijuana in the workplace or by people under 21. Landlords and property owners can set their own rules. Using marijuana while driving is not protected.
How do you get a medical marijuana card in Missouri?
To get a medical marijuana card in Missouri, you apply to the Department of Health and Senior Services under Article XIV, Section 1, with a physician's certification of a qualifying medical condition. Qualifying patients and caregivers can buy medical marijuana at licensed facilities and have the medical program's possession and cultivation privileges. Patients under 18 need a caregiver. The medical program continues alongside adult use.
Can visitors buy or use marijuana in Missouri?
Yes. Out-of-state visitors can buy marijuana in Missouri if they are 21 or older. Article XIV, Section 2 makes purchase and possession of up to three ounces lawful for a person at least twenty-one years of age and does not require Missouri residency. Visitors follow the same public-use and driving rules as residents. Taking marijuana out of Missouri across state lines remains illegal under federal law.
What are the rules on driving and marijuana in Missouri?
No, you can't drive high in Missouri. Article XIV says it is not intended to allow driving while under the influence of marijuana, and undertaking any task while under the influence is not protected if that would be negligence, recklessness or professional malpractice. Possessing a legal amount in the car is not a defense to impaired driving.
Can an employer in Missouri fire you for using marijuana?
Yes, you can get fired for using marijuana in Missouri. Article XIV does not require an employer to allow otherwise lawful conduct at work or on the employer's property. An employer may refuse to hire, fire or discipline someone for working while under the influence of marijuana. The section also lets employers keep workplace rules against possession and use on the job.
What are the penalties for breaking marijuana laws in Missouri?
In Missouri, adults 21 and older who stay within the three-ounce limit, and registered home growers who follow the plant, lock and visibility rules, are not committing a state offense for those acts. Public consumption outside a licensed area is not allowed. Growing without a department registration, keeping more than twelve flowering plants at a residence, or selling without a license can bring enforcement under state law. Driving under the influence remains a separate crime.
Are CBD, hemp and delta-8 products legal in Missouri?
CBD from lawful hemp can be sold when it meets Missouri's hemp definition. Delta-8, THCA flower and other intoxicating products that do not meet that definition are treated as marijuana and belong in the licensed market. Separately, a stricter federal hemp definition, with a total-THC standard that counts THCA and a 0.4 mg-per-container cap, takes effect December 11, 2026.
Does federal law still apply in Missouri?
Yes. Federal law still applies in Missouri. Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, with one exception: since April 28, 2026, marijuana covered by a state medical marijuana license and FDA-approved marijuana products are in Schedule III. A broader federal rescheduling proceeding was stayed on September 29, 2026, and has no decision date. State law does not change federal rules on federal land, on carrying marijuana across state lines, or on federally required drug testing, such as for DOT-regulated jobs.
Has the law in Missouri changed recently, or is it about to?
Missouri's adult-use constitution section has been in effect since December 8, 2022, and remains the core personal-use rule in 2026, including the three-ounce limit and registered six-plant home grow. Licensed dispensaries have been operating since. New federal hemp limits take effect November 12 and December 11, 2026.
Legislation
Sources (5)
General information, not legal advice. Laws change often, so check with the state's cannabis agency before relying on this.
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