Michigan Cannabis Laws: Medical Card, Adult-Use Limits, Home Grow and Retail Licenses

The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing with its tall green dome behind a large tree — The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. Photo by w_lemay via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped and resized.

Last verified November 13, 2026. Facts come from the agency or source linked on this page. Where sources conflict or we could not confirm something, we say so.

Adult-Use Limits in Michigan
The Michigan Medical Marijuana Program
Bills in 2026
Open a Dispensary
Timeline
FAQ
Related Reading

Michigan at a Glance

Adult UseLegal for adults 21 and older with a licensed market.

Possession Limit2.5 ounces on you, with no more than 15 grams as concentrate.

Home GrowUp to 12 plants per residence at once. Amounts over 2.5 ounces at home must be locked up.

Medical Card$40 for a two-year card per the agency packet. A 2019 release cut it from $60.

Retail License$3,000 prequalification and a $15,000 initial license fee, with local opt-in required.

Michigan Medical Card Checklist

See an active Michigan physician for a medical evaluation within the last six months.
Complete the patient application and pay the $40 application fee by check or money order payable to the State of Michigan-MMMP.
If you have a caregiver, plan to renew by paper application.
At renewal, get recertified by a physician.
Keep your card current, because renewal needs a recent evaluation.

Card Cost Planner

Add up card fees over the years you plan to hold a Michigan card.

Years you plan to hold a card

Renewal Date Finder

Enter your approval date to estimate when it expires.

Approval date

Adult-Use Limits in Michigan

Michigan voters approved adult-use marijuana in 2018 through Proposal 18-1. The Cannabis Regulatory Agency's page on the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act describes personal use as 2.5 ounces in possession or up to 12 plants in a home.

Carrying: 2.5 ounces, and no more than 15 grams of that can be concentrate.
At home: amounts over 2.5 ounces must be locked in a container or area with security devices. One agency-linked brochure puts the home limit at 10 ounces of flower in a secured location.
Plants: no more than 12 on the premises at once.

Several of the documents we found are older, including a 2019 Senate Fiscal Agency note and a 2021 brochure. Check the agency's current rules for later changes.

The Michigan Medical Marijuana Program

The Medical Marijuana Program sits inside the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. The patient application packet lists a $40 application fee for a two-year card, payable by check or money order to the State of Michigan-MMMP. A 2019 agency release says the fee was cut from $60 to $40 and eliminated the $10 fees for name or address updates and replacement cards.

Online renewal is limited to patients without a caregiver (or who remove the caregiver at renewal), with a secure online account and a medical evaluation from an active Michigan physician within the last six months.
Patients with a caregiver renew by paper application.
Renewal always requires physician recertification.

The sources we reached did not list Michigan's qualifying conditions, so read the agency's patient page before booking an evaluation.

Bills in 2026

Senate Bill 433, a state health department notice on THC and other products for schools, became law in October 2026. House Bill 6163, a cannabis omnibus bill, shows its last action on May 20, 2026 in the tracker we used.

Opening a Dispensary in Michigan

Open with local opt-in Regulator: Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency

Michigan uses a two-step process. One guide describes a $3,000 prequalification application followed by a $15,000 initial retailer license fee, and the agency's fee FAQ summary lists the same figures, with annual renewal scaled by market footprint and compliance record. The annual number is disputed: one guide says $25,000, another says the renewal matches the $15,000 initial fee. The agency publishes the regulatory assessment each year, so use its published schedule. The bigger hurdle is local: retail locations must be in a municipality that opted in, and one source estimates about 30 percent of Michigan municipalities allow retail cannabis.

License	Application Fee	License Fee	Renewal	Notes
Retailer	$3,000 prequalification	$15,000 initial license	$15,000 to $25,000 per year, sources disagree	Annual regulatory assessment is published by the agency each year.

What to Plan For

Get local approval first. The municipality must have opted in to cannabis businesses.
Prequalification happens before the full license application.
One page lists grower fees that do not match other sources, so treat unofficial fee tables with caution.

Startup Budget Planner

The sourced state fees are filled in. Enter your own quotes for the rest. We do not estimate build-out or inventory because they vary by site and operator.

Retailer prequalification application: $3,000
Reported by a cannabis law firm and a CRA fee FAQ summary.
Initial retailer license fee: $15,000
Annual assessment is reported at $15,000 to $25,000.

Lease deposit and build-outSecurity and technologyOpening inventoryInsurance and legalWorking capitalLocal permits and fees

Fees are only part of the cost. Federal law still applies to cannabis businesses, so talk to a cannabis attorney and an accountant before you commit money. Fee figures come from the sources below and change, so confirm them with the regulator. Related reading: CannaWize Business Desk, 280E and Schedule III for Cannabis Businesses, Cannabis Banking Costs and the GAO Report, Licensing Lawsuits and State Markets.

Business sources:

How Michigan Compares


Arizona	Legal	Active	$150 (card term not stated)	Not stated	Fees disputed
Arkansas	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	Fees not found
California	Legal	Optional county card	Varies by county	Varies	$1,000 + $2,500 to $96,000
Colorado	Legal	Active	$52 per year	1 year	About $3,120 state + local
Florida	Not legal	Active	$75 per year	1 year	No window open (Oct. 2026 guide)
Georgia	Not legal	Active	$75 from Dec. 5, 2026	Not stated	$5,000 + tiered fees
Illinois	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 to 3 years	$5,000 + $60,000
Louisiana	Not legal	Active	Not found	Up to 12 months	Limited permits
Massachusetts	Legal	Active	Free registration	Not stated	$1,500 + $10,000
Michigan	Legal	Active	$40 per two years	2 years	$3,000 + $15,000
Missouri	Legal	Active	$28.92 renewal per three years	3 years	Microbusiness lottery, about $1,637
New Jersey	Legal	Active	Free digital, $10 printed	2 years	Conditional route, $1,000 up front
New Mexico	Legal	Active	Not found	Not found	$2,500 per year (reported)
New York	Legal	Active	No state fee	Not stated	$1,000 + $7,000
North Carolina	Not legal	None	No program	Not applicable	No state license
Ohio	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	Capped at 400
Oklahoma	Not legal	Active	$100 per two years	2 years	Moratorium to Aug. 1, 2028
Pennsylvania	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Closed per one 2026 guide
Texas	Not legal	Active	See guide	See guide	See guide
Virginia	Legal, no stores yet	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Opens Feb. 1, 2027 (draft)

Michigan Cannabis Timeline

Nov. 2018Voters approve adult-use marijuana through Proposal 18-1.
2019The agency cuts the medical card fee from $60 to $40 and eliminates update and replacement fees.
May 20, 2026Last action on HB 6163, the cannabis omnibus, per a tracker.
Oct. 2026SB 433 on THC product notices for schools becomes law.

Michigan Cannabis Bills

Enacted SB 433: State health department notice on THC and other products for schools. Last action October 2026.
Pending HB 6163: Cannabis omnibus. Last action May 20, 2026 per a tracker.

See every state in the cannabis bill tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions About Michigan Cannabis Laws

Is marijuana legal in Michigan?

Yes for adults 21 and older. You may carry 2.5 ounces with no more than 15 grams of concentrate.

How many marijuana plants can I grow in Michigan?

Up to 12 on the premises at once. Amounts over 2.5 ounces kept at home must be locked up.

How much is a Michigan medical marijuana card?

$40 for a two-year card per the agency's patient packet. A 2019 release cut the fee from $60. Confirm the current amount.

Can I renew my Michigan card online?

Only if you have no caregiver, a secure online account and a medical evaluation from an active Michigan physician within the last six months. Patients with a caregiver must renew on paper.

Do I have to be recertified to renew?

Yes. Renewal requires recertification by a physician.

How much does a Michigan retail license cost?

Reported figures are a $3,000 prequalification and a $15,000 initial license fee. Annual renewal is disputed between $15,000 and $25,000, and your town must allow retail cannabis.