St. Paul, Minnesota - Minnesota is preparing to reinvest revenues into communities most harmed by the War on Drugs as the state's new recreational marijuana law takes effect.

Minnesota's new law legalizing recreational marijuana for people 21 and up went into effect on Tuesday, and starting in 2026, the state will begin giving back to historically harmed communities.

Through its CanRenew grant program, the state will dole out $15 million per year to organizations in communities with disparate levels of past marijuana convictions or that saw people disproportionately targeted by law enforcement.

CanRenew grants will be issued to groups and institutions that provide a compelling plan for how the funds will "improve community-wide outcomes or experiences," with a focus on public health, youth development, community safety, and more.

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The money for the program will come from tax revenues generated through cannabis sales.

"This is a form of reparation," state Senator Lindsey Port told the Star Tribune. "Direct harm has been done to communities by prohibition and by the state, and it is our responsibility to undo that harm. This is really our first major investment in doing that, and it should have the same kind of lasting effects that, unfortunately, the war on drugs has had on communities of color."

The Minnesota Reformer found that Black people are nearly five times more likely than white people to be arrested in the state on marijuana-related charges.