[PRESS RELEASE] – ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 21, 2025 – The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced 11 organizations that have been awarded funding from the state’s CanRenew grant program to help fund projects addressing a range of community needs, including economic development, public health, violence prevention, youth development and civil legal aid.
Approximately 150 organizations applied for the grants, requesting more than $22 million for projects and services to communities across Minnesota. The $1 million CanRenew program, established in the 2023 cannabis bill, invests in communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, fostering development, safety and stability.
CanRenew grant funds are not intended to support cannabis business operations and cannot be used on revenue-generating projects; instead, projects are intended to help make meaningful and positive impacts in Minnesota communities.
“The exciting projects funded with CanRenew grant funds prove that social equity goes beyond just licensing,” OCM Director of Social Equity Jess Jackson said. “The programs will provide much-needed support to communities experiencing the lingering burden of excessive and discriminatory law enforcement.”
Funding was awarded through a competitive process with review by a committee representing content and community specialists. CanRenew grants cover a one-year grant period, and funded programs will begin operating within 90 days of the award notice. The next opportunity to apply for CanRenew funds will come this winter in advance of fiscal year 2027, when funding for grantees increases to $10 million annually.
“At a time of financial uncertainty for organizations providing services to communities, grants like CanRenew are needed now more than ever,” Jackson said. “This ongoing investment will be felt in communities in most need of support across the state.”
CanRenew grants are part of a larger collection of opportunities that support and provide funding for technical assistance, financial capital, and workforce training for the Minnesota legal cannabis industry. The other grant programs are CanGrow, promoted through OCM, and three programs that are overseen by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED): CanStartUp, CanNavigate, and CanTrain. For more information on DEED’s grant programs, visit DEED’s Support for Cannabis Businesses website.
For more information on the CanRenew grant, visit the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management website.
CanRenew grant awardees:*
Affinity Care MN (Bloomington) is awarded $100,000 for its Revive the Flats project, which stabilizes a 42-unit HIV/disability housing site through staffing, security upgrades, direct aid, and workshops on expungement and tenant rights.
Beltrami Area Service Collaboration (Bemidji) is awarded $100,000 for its youth-led cannabis and substance use prevention campaign.
Girls Dream Code (St. Paul) is awarded $50,000 to help empower underserved girls in technology.
Hired (Minneapolis) is awarded $85,000 for its Corridors to Careers (C2C) project that will serve 40 Twin Cities youth from communities impacted by cannabis laws and help youth build career skills, reduce youth violence, and connect to a healthy future.
Ignite Afterschool (Minneapolis) is awarded $75,000 for its afterschool youth-led Cannabis Awareness and Education Council for Youth (CAEC) and Young Nonprofit Leaders Club that provides youth peer education on cannabis, civic engagement, and nonprofit management.
InTENtions (Brooklyn Center and Mora) is awarded $100,000 for its Environmentally Conscious Youth program that connects black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to nature, sustainable farming, and community gardens, fostering leadership, environmental awareness, and career development.
Metropolitan Economic Development Association (Minneapolis) is awarded $70,000 to launch a new initiative called Roadmap to Business Success that will create or expand 100+ BIPOC-owned businesses in North Minneapolis through personal and business financial literacy training and mentorship.
United Way of Steele County (Owatonna) is awarded $100,000 to help develop a teen center that will offer a safe, sober space for youth to study, socialize, and access resources like mental health support and substance use prevention and intervention.
Vermilion Country School (Tower) is awarded $100,000 for Vermilion Country School's Youth Development & Job Training Program that provides Bois Forte and regional teens with hands-on experience in agriculture, landscaping, forestry, maintenance, and customer service, fostering skills for employment, community engagement.
Walker West Music Academy (St. Paul) is awarded $50,000 to support the Rondo Community Music Series, a monthly concert series highlighting teaching artists, building community, and reinvigorating Rondo as a cultural and arts hub in the Twin Cities.
World Youth Connect (St. Paul) is awarded $100,000 for the S.E.E.D. Program, a research project that will collect data through collective storytelling. It is designed to train youth researchers to evaluate, develop, and implement resources that benefit youth affected by cannabis.
*Note: One additional grantee will be announced at a later date.
