I've pondered this as well. I think what it will come down to is how a judge might interpret the "OR"--which is clearly in the language of the law--as meaning something like and/or (you could have up to 6 and 12, but never more of either), or possibly interpret it as AND, meaning you can have 6 flowering plants. Or, if those plants are not mature enough to flower, you can have 12, so that you can kill the weakest 6 at flowering time. Then again he could take it literally and say, you start with 12 you flower with 6. Then you can start over. This literal interpretation, taken with the limit of 8 ounces of cured bud in any one location, would in effect limit the amount of weed a law-abiding medi-grower could produce, so as not to flood the market or permit him to make too much money off of its sales.
I like the And/or interpretation.
Maybe the lawmakers only thought outdoors though. Maybe they didn't consider that you could even HAVE 6 plants flowering while others were only a month into veg. I mean, that's not the way plants work is it? Or our plants I guess I should say? Maybe a compassionate judge could easily set a precedent for loose interpretation of OR, to mean "Or, if they aren't flowering," 12. And leave the rest of the debate off the table (18 total OK if in diff growth stages?). Or perhaps he'd just say, well, it looks like a half and half kinda thing. So if you have 3 flowering (or half the limit) you could have half the vegging plants, or 6. Clones? What's a vegging plant? Seedling? how many can I have? 1000? I guess since seed possession is a felony, it's moot.
Sticky one. Heh.