Lakewood, CA Cannabis Regulations: Home Cultivation (2026)
Key Facts
- Plant cap
- 6 living plants per residence
- Excess product limit
- 28.5 grams beyond growing plants
- Storage rule
- Locked, not visible from public place
- Indoor cultivation
- Cannot be completely banned by a city
- Outdoor cultivation
- A city may completely ban it
- Lakewood ordinance
- Sec. 9378, adopted 2015, pre-dates Prop 64
- Private residence includes
- Houses, apartments, mobile homes
Summary
State law, not Lakewood's own code, sets the real limit on home cannabis growing: Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2 caps personal cultivation at six living plants per private residence and bars a city from completely banning indoor growing. Lakewood's Municipal Code Section 9378 purports to prohibit all marijuana cultivation citywide, but that blanket text cannot lawfully reach a compliant indoor grow.
(a) Personal cultivation of cannabis under paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11362.1 is subject to the following restrictions: ... (2) The living plants and any cannabis produced by the plants in excess of 28.5 grams are kept within the person's private residence, or upon the grounds of that private residence (e.g., in an outdoor garden area), are in a locked space, and are not visible by normal unaided vision from a public place. (3) Not more than six living plants may be planted, cultivated, harvested, dried, or processed within a single private residence, or upon the grounds of that private residence, at one time. (b) (1) A city, county, or city and county may enact and enforce reasonable regulations to regulate the actions and conduct in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11362.1. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a city, county, or city and county shall not completely prohibit persons engaging in the actions and conduct under paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11362.1 inside a private residence, or inside an accessory structure to a private residence located upon the grounds of a private residence that is fully enclosed and secure.
Full Breakdown
5 grams to stay within the residence or its grounds, in a locked space, out of view from a public place. Subdivision (b)(1) lets a city adopt reasonable regulations over that cultivation, but subdivision (b)(2) specifically bars a city from completely prohibiting cultivation inside a private residence or inside a fully enclosed, secure accessory structure on the property. Subdivision (b)(3) draws the opposite line for the yard: a city may completely prohibit cultivation outdoors on the grounds of a private residence. Subdivision (b)(4) makes the outdoor-ban authority inoperative if the state Attorney General determines adult cannabis use is lawful under federal law.
Subdivision (b)(5) defines a private residence to include a house, apartment unit, mobile home, or similar dwelling. Lakewood's Section 9378(B), enacted by Ordinance 2015-9 before voters approved Proposition 64 the following year, still lists cultivation among its citywide prohibited activities without carving out an indoor exception. 2(b)(2) directly bars a complete indoor ban, that state provision limits Section 9378's reach: the City retains authority to prohibit outdoor personal cultivation but cannot lawfully enforce its blanket text against a compliant indoor grow.
Violations & Fines
Lakewood's own code text still lists cultivation among its Prohibited Activities, enforceable by City Attorney or City Prosecutor civil action and nuisance abatement under Section 9378(C)-(D), but under Health and Safety Code Section 11362.2(b)(2) that enforcement cannot reach an indoor grow of six or fewer plants that stays locked, out of public view, inside a private residence or a fully enclosed accessory structure. The city's enforceable authority is limited to outdoor cultivation and to growing beyond the six-plant, 28.5-gram cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lakewood's marijuana ban stop me from growing cannabis at home?
Can Lakewood stop me from growing cannabis outdoors in my yard?
How many cannabis plants can I legally keep at home in Lakewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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Home Cultivation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle home cultivation.