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TORONTO — The government of Ontario will give municipalities $40 million dollars from its share of federal marijuana taxes to help cover law enforcement and safety costs associated with pot legalization, the province announced Friday.

The money — which will be provided to municipalities upfront, beginning before legalization takes effect later this year – will come from the first two years of federal excise duties on producers of recreational pot.

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“This funding will ensure that Ontario’s municipalities have dedicated resources for cannabis enforcement,” said Marie-France Lalonde, minister of community safety and correctional services. “Ontario will continue working with law enforcement agencies to protect our communities from illegal cannabis activity, and to keep impaired drivers off the road.”

The money will be provided to municipalities based on the number of households they have, but will be adjusted so every municipality gets a minimum of $10,000. If Ontario receives more than $100 million from federal marijuana tax over the course of two years, it will give half the surplus to municipalities.