SALEM — The Oregon Liquor Control Commission was inundated with 1,001 applications in the in the lead up to a temporary hiatus on processing marijuana business licenses that was intended to allow the agency to work through a backlog of applications.
On May 30, the agency announced it would set aside any license applications received after June 15 in favor of first tackling a backlog of 1,423 license applications. The influx of applications adds more work for 13 commission employees who were already overwhelmed by the workload.
"We expected there would be a surge of some kind," says Mark Pettinger, an agency spokesman. "We didn't know how much or how great."
The workload includes applications for new licenses, renewals and changes in ownership or other aspects of existing licensees.
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