AMHERST — A recreational marijuana shop is being proposed for a vacant storefront on College Street.
RC Retail Amherst LLC is eyeing the 328 College St. location and will hold a mandated community outreach meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Inn at Boltwood, 30 Boltwood Ave.
Economic Development Director Geoff Kravitz said that before RC Retail, based in Meriden, Connecticut, can move forward, it must seek a license from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission and be recommended to negotiate a host community agreement with the town manager.
RC Retail would be the first adult-use marijuana shop in the east Amherst village center, just down the hill from Amherst College. The site most recently housed Green Wave Garden Supply & Hydroponics, a business that catered to customers who wanted to grow their own marijuana plants. Before that, it was the children’s clothing store Monkey Business.
Kravitz said the RC initials stand for Red Cardinal, not recreational cannabis.
Only one marijuana retailer has opened in town, Rise Holdings Inc. at 169 Meadow St., in North Amherst. Proposed shops that would be closer to the University of Massachusets are Herbology Group Inc. at 422 Amity St., Mass Alternative Care at 55 University Drive and MassMedicum at 85 University Drive. Just one pot shop has been considered for downtown, Silver Therapeutics, which is looking at a vacant storefront at 37 Boltwood Walk.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
