State lawmakers OK $2 million to eliminate backlog on medical-marijuana applications - The Denver Post

State lawmakers OK $2 million to eliminate backlog on medical-marijuana applications - The Denver Post

State lawmakers have approved an extra $2 million for the state to hire 56 temporary workers to process a backlog of 63,000 medical-marijuana applications that grows by the day, according to budget records.

State law requires the patient applications to be processed within 35 days, but it is taking the state six to eight months, according to 9News.

"The backlog has continued to grow at a faster pace than anticipated and the authorized funding is no longer sufficient. This backlog must be eliminated," wrote the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to the Joint Budget Committee in June.

The health department expects to receive 150,000 medical-marijuana applications a year, based on the number of applications it receives each day. That is equivalent to everyone in Fort Collins getting a medical-marijuana license every year.

According to the health department, 63,100 pieces of mail have not been opened, and 31,400 applications have been opened and evaluated, but the data have not been entered into the system.