MONTAGUE — 253 Organic, the recreational marijuana retailer and cultivator hoping to open at 253 Millers Falls Road, has completed its process of approval with the town of Montague.
On Monday the Selectboard signed a letter from the state Cannabis Control Commission to verify that 253 Organic had completed the town’s approval process, effectively clearing it for approval from the state.
With onsite cultivation, manufacturing and retail, 253 Organic will be a “vertically integrated” business, selling its own products, said Seth Rutherford, one of the company’s executives. This requires three separate licenses from the state.
Construction on the building at 253 Millers Falls Road will likely be done by fall of 2019. The retail business will likely open within six months after that, or maybe sooner if wholesale product can be secured, Rutherford said. The company is “cautiously optimistic” that state approval will come well before then, Rutherford said.
In April, 253 Organic finalized its host agreement with the town, which includes annual payments to the town worth 3 percent of gross retail sales. The company also agreed to pay up to 3 percent of wholesale sales to the town, plus $15,000 a year in community contributions and 150 man-hours a year for community service and community meetings. The agreement also details the company’s cooperation with police and Turners Falls Fire District.