BEMIDJI — Two area organizations were recently awarded grants for cannabis education from the Office of Cannabis Management and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Beltrami Area Service Collaboration was awarded a $100,000 CanRenew grant from the Office of Cannabis Management for its youth-led cannabis and substance use prevention campaign.

The CanRenew grant program helps fund projects addressing a range of community needs, including economic development, public health, violence prevention, youth development and civil legal aid, a release said.

The $1 million CanRenew program, established in the 2023 cannabis bill, invests in communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, fostering development, safety and stability.

“The exciting projects funded with CanRenew grant funds prove that social equity goes beyond just licensing,” Jess Jackson, OCM’s director of social equity, said in the release. “The programs will provide much-needed support to communities experiencing the lingering burden of excessive and discriminatory law enforcement.”

White Earth Tribal and Community College received a $500,000 CanTrain grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

According to a release from DEED, CanTrain provides grants to eligible organizations to create and implement workforce development programs to provide support, navigation services and training to individuals leading to a relevant career in the legal cannabis industry.

“We’re committed to ensuring social equity in the cannabis industry, working alongside our regulatory partners securing market integrity and supporting Minnesota’s community-focused lenders and workforce development organizations around the state,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in the release.

DEED’s cannabis programs came out of the 2023 legislative session when lawmakers legalized adult-use cannabis in Minnesota. DEED is working closely with the Office of Cannabis Management and other state agencies to support business owners seeking licenses to operate in Minnesota and to contribute to Minnesota’s cannabis sector.

For more information on DEED’s grant programs, visit its
Support for Cannabis Businesses website.

For more information on the CanRenew grant, visit the 
Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management website.