Office of Cannabis Management announces recipients of CanGrow grant funds to help farmers succeed in the cannabis industry

St. Paul, Minn. - Today, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced four organizations have been awarded funding from the state’s CanGrow grant program that helps farmers enter or expand into the cannabis industry. OCM also announced it is accepting applications for the next round of funding to provide people with the education, knowledge and training to enter and succeed in Minnesota’s cannabis cultivation industry.

“With the establishment of Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis industry, we are creating financial opportunities that foster a fair, equitable and sustainable market,” said OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel. “CanGrow grants are intended to create a strong knowledge base of cannabis cultivators and entrepreneurs while keeping to our commitment to social equity by empowering those who face barriers to joining the market.”

The Minnesota Legislature, in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 342.73, appropriated yearly funds for the CanGrow program in the form of technical assistance grants, and loan financing grants that will be distributed in the form of loans to individual farmers seeking to expand or enter the cannabis space (Minnesota Session Laws 2023, chapter 63, Article 9, section 5).

The four recipients of technical assistance grants include programs offering compliance training, education, business planning, mentorship, assistance with legal and environmental concerns, and opportunities to share knowledge and best practices.

The recipient of the loan financing award will administer loans to individual farmers ranging from $2,500 to $50,000, or up to $150,000 for projects with matching funds. Farmers receiving individual farmer loans do not have to currently grow cannabis; award funds can be used to support existing farmers in expanding their work into the cannabis industry. All CanGrow funds must be used for cannabis-related projects or initiatives.

In the first round of CanGrow, the office awarded technical assistance grants totaling $199,924 and $382,910 for financing individual farmer loans.
First round of CanGrow grant awardees
Technical assistance grants

Wise Education Technology, doing business as Oaksterdam University (St. Paul), is awarded $49,985 for its Creating a Compliant Cultivation Plan, an industry-recognized online, on-demand, comprehensive Horticulture Mastery Certification Program with one-on-one and group coaching to support business license applicants in developing viable and compliant commercial cultivation plans and facilities.
Seeds Worth Sowing (Minneapolis) is awarded $49,990 for its From Barriers to Business: Social Equity Cannabis Workforce and Enterprise Support project. This project will provide culturally responsive technical assistance, hands-on training, and regulatory guidance to support social equity-qualified farmers to enter or expand within Minnesota’s legal cannabis industry. Seeds Worth Sowing—in collaboration with Minnesota Black Farmers Association, Grand Risings Farm, and other trusted partners—will deliver workshops, site tours, one-on-one consulting, and grant navigation resources.
Minnesota Cannabis College (Minneapolis) is awarded $49,950 for its Cannabis Compliance Navigator: Empowering Social Equity Farmers program. This initiative aims to equip 50 social equity-eligible farmers in Minnesota with the knowledge and tools to navigate the legal cannabis industry's regulatory framework. Through a structured 12-month program, participants will receive comprehensive training, mentorship, and resources to achieve licensure and establish compliant cannabis operations.
Leech Lake Financial Services (Cass Lake) is awarded $49,999 for its Cannabis Training Program, a new program that helps develop successful local cannabis farmers as part of the local and statewide economy. This training will help increase the success of current farmers by expanding their cannabis farming knowledge and skills.

Loan financing grant

Leech Lake Financial Services (Cass Lake) is awarded $382,910 for administering loans to individual farmers through its Cannabis Loan Fund. LLFS is expanding their loan portfolio to include financing for cannabis farmers on or near the Leech Lake Reservation to fund the start-up or expansion of cannabis farming, allowing for a stronger entry to the cannabis industry as part of the local and statewide economy.

“At a time of higher farming costs and uncertainty in the agricultural landscape, these grants expand opportunities for Minnesota farmers to explore another crop that could diversify their income and contribute to the state’s cannabis supply chain,” said Jess Jackson, director of social equity for OCM. “CanGrow aims to provide equitable decision-making power, ensuring sustainability and justice throughout the entire state’s agricultural system.”

There is approximately $2.3 million available for the next round of grant awards. The range of the grant awards for technical assistance has increased in this round to