County Laws
Guidelines Adopted in Various Counties
Alameda: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Alpine: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Amador: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Butte Co. Sheriff and DA jointly stipulate: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants and one pound of processed. (Formerly 6 plants at any stage). Butte County DA Policy
Calaveras Co. Board of Supervisors ordinance: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud. Two pound safe harbor dropped by Supervisors’ vote 3/27/06.
Colusa Co. No firm policy; case by case review; 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud OR 1.5 # processed. (Formerly 2 plants outdoors or 4 plants indoors)
Contra Costa: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Del Norte Co. Current status remains unclear, so SAN is advising everyone to follow the state minimum guidelines for maximum safety. 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud. After the local newspaper led a hysteria campaign, it appeared that the County Sups were going to throw out their guidelines (following); but when the “Kelly” ruling struck them down as unconstitutional and then the Supreme Court decided to hear the case, the plan was put into limbo. Originally: County Resolution 2002-029, adopted April 2002 allows up to 100 square feet with no more than 99 plants and up to 1# dried bud.
El Dorado: Outdoors: 20 plants March 1 through July 31; 10 plants through October (end of season) and 2 # bud from 9/1 to 2/28; 1 # from 3/1 to 8/31. Indoors: 10 vegetative plants, 1 mother plant, 10 flowering plants and1 # bud per patient. Formerly 6 plants and / or 2 pounds processed. Caregivers can take care of household plus three outside patients. Also see the DA policy hereEl Dorado County DA Policy
Fresno: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Glenn: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Humboldt: County Board of Supervisors policy as a PDF file (220k) approved taskforce proposal of three pounds of bud or conversion plus 100 square feet of garden canopy, no limit on plant numbers or lamp wattage. Caregiver amounts calculated per patient served.
Original DA policy: Up to 99 plants with up to 100 square feet of canopy and up to 3# of bud. Indoor gardens limited to 1500 watts total illumination.
Download the current County policies from the Supervisors’ website,
Imperial: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Inyo: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Kern: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud.
King: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Lake: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Lassen: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Los Angeles: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Madera: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Marin: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud, county ID cards honored by all law enforcement.
Formerly: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud (lowest in the state and apparent basis for HS11362.77).
Mariposa: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Mendocino: In 2008, County voters passed Measure ‘B’ to revert to the statewide minimum guidelines of 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud. It was suspended for several months while the question was on appeal but has again been implemented pending the results of the Kelly case appeal, now before the State Supreme Court.
Previous policy: Sheriff and DA policy based on Voter Proposition G: 25 plants with up to 100 square feet of canopy and 2# bud. In August, 2004, the DA announced that the county will no longer enforce plant limits, only square footage.
Merced: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Modoc: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Mono: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Monterey: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Napa: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Nevada: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants in 75 square feet of canopy area AND up to 2# bud. Collectives to keep copies of all patient’s recommendations available for inspection.Download the Nevada County Policy (404k PDF) or read info for patients online at this site: co.nevada.ca.us/dsweb/Get/Document-434511
Orange: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Placer: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Plumas: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Riverside: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Sacramento: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
San Benito: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
San Bernardino: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
San Diego: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
San Francisco: Patient and caregiver ID cards issued by county Health Department; no patient guidelines. Case by case consideration, generally contingent on police claims of indicia of illegal sales or diversion to non-medical market. Patient guidelines adopted in 2005 set the immunity threshold at 24 plants/patient plus 8 oz, with a 25 sq. ft. canopy, and 99 plants per collective. The personal use guidelines can be found on page 44 ofthe online policy, so click here to download in PDF format.
San Joaquin: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
San Luis Obispo: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
San Mateo: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Santa Barbara: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Santa Clara: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Santa Cruz: Board of Supervisors PDF file (188k) approved physician’s taskforce proposal of three pounds of bud or conversion plus 100 square feet of garden canopy, no limit on plant numbers or lamp wattage.
Shasta: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud OR 1.33# processed. Formerly: Sheriff, DA and local police chiefs: 2 plants outdoors or 6 plants indoors (3 flowering/3 vegetative)
Sierra: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud OR quantity approved by physician Formerly: 3 plants outdoors OR 6 plants indoors .
Siskiyou: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Solano: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Sonoma: County policy: Up to 30 (formerly 99) plants with up to 100 square feet of garden canopy and up to 3# of bud.
The guidelines were adopted by the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs Association, which includes the DA, Sheriff, and police chiefs from several towns and cities in the county. The guidelines were later ratified by the Santa Rosa and Sebastopol city councils. Protocol to review recommendations through Sonoma Medial Association. Caregiver amounts calculated per patient served. Physician’s approval if more is needed. For more information contactSonoma Alliance for Medical Marijuana.
A. Possession. A qualified patient, or a person holding a valid identification card, or the designated primary caregiver of that qualified patient or person, may possess amounts of marijuana of up to three (3) pounds of dried cannabis or conversion per year.
B. Cultivation. A qualified patient or a person holding a valid identification card or a designated primary caregiver, or primary caregivers or qualified patients whom associate collectively or cooperatively, may also cultivate cannabis in an amount not to exceed more than one-hundred (100) square feet total garden canopy, per qualified patient, as measured by the combined vegetative growth area.
C. Plants. A qualified patient or a person holding a valid identification card or a designated primary caregiver, or primary caregivers or qualified patients whom associate collectively or cooperatively, may cultivate cannabis in an amount not to exceed more than thirty (30) plants per qualified patient. The authorized thirty (30) plants must be grown within the one-hundred (100) square foot total garden canopy per qualified patient.
Stanislaus: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Sutter: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Tehama: On Sept. 27, 2005, the County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 98-2005 that establishes Outdoor Cultivation: 12 seedlings or 6 flowering or mature plants, and 8 ounces dried marijuana. Indoor Cultivation: 12 seedlings or 6 flowering or mature plants, and 8 ounces dried marijuana. If the above quantities are not exceeded, the documented medicinal marijuana cultivator and possessor is in compliance with the standards set forth by this (sheriff’s) agency and the investigation will not be submitted for prosecution.Click here for PDF of full policy. Original Sheriff’s policy: 18 immature plants OR 6 mature plants, and up to 3# processed.
Trinity: On 6/12/08 the board of Supervisors voted to step backward and revert to the state minimum threshold of 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud. Previously, on 9/4/07 the Trinity County Board of Supervisors had adopted a more reasonable policy allowing for possession of 3 pounds of dried, processed marijuana at any one time and the cultivation of 12 mature plants and/or 24 immature plants. That policy is no longer in effect.
Tulare: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Tuolumne: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud AND 8 ounces of bud. Formerly Up to three plants and 8 ounces: these were the guidelines that were rejected by the California Supreme Court in the Mower decision.
Ventura: Sheriff and DA policy: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud OR 1# dry bud or conversion. County Supervisors taking matter into review. Formerly 6 plants – 3 mature/ 3 immature
Yolo: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud
Yuba: Informal policy: 6 mature plants OR 12 immature plants AND 8 ounces of bud OR 1.5# processed marijuana. Formerly 5 plants.
