Cannabis expungement and Grants Program info

(St. Paul, MN/Minnesota News Network) — State officials are trying to educate Minnesotans about cannabis expungements under the new adult-use law. Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans says this means cases won’t show up on most criminal background checks. He says thousands of cannabis-related offenses, misdemeanor convictions, and specific offenses not resulting in a conviction have already been automatically sealed as part of this process. The more complex misdemeanors and felonies are being reviewed by the Cannabis Expungement Board. Evans says the B-C-A is currently working to identify additional records that may quality for automatic expungement. There’s more information on cannabis expungements at mn.gov/recordrelief.

The Office of Cannabis Management is awarding $ 1 million in grant funding through its new CanRenew program. Director of Social Equity Jess Jackson says the money helps the communities that have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition. She says the program funds projects addressing a range of community needs, including economic development, public health, violence prevention, youth development, and civil legal aid. Eleven different organizations will split the $1 million. Funding guarantees will increase to $10 million in fiscal year 2027.