Despite a lawsuit and several other controversies that continue to plague the adoption of recreational marijuana in the City of Traverse City, the City Commission’s Ad Hoc Committee for Adult Use Marijuana is taking its next steps toward the allowance of adult use marijuana retail in town. The city announced on Monday that the ad hoc committee was launching “a formal, focused series of engagement opportunities to help shape the development of how adult use marijuana will be regulated within the City of Traverse City.”

From September 3-12, the ad hoc committee will gather public input on local adult use marijuana matters through an online survey. The committee has also scheduled an in-person open house at the City Opera House from 3:30-6:30pm on Wednesday, September 8, also aimed at gathering public feedback. The city will share a link to the survey once it goes live this Friday.

Per a press release announcing the new engagement efforts, both the survey and the open house “will provide the informational background on adult use marijuana regulations within the city and the methodologies used to create an overlay zoning districts with ten subareas.” Members of the public who participate in these engagement opportunities will be able “to provide input on zoning districts, number of retail facilities, and factors that should be considered when allowing retail facilities, to name a few.”

“The City Commission Ad Hoc Committee has worked carefully with the planning and zoning department to build foundational recommendations for the public to provide input,” City Clerk Benjamin Marentette said of the new engagement outreach plan. “Engaging the public on this initiative is critical to thoughtfully moving forward with adoption regulations for adult use marijuana facilities within the city.”