Booming interest in marijuana licenses is expected to delay medical program

Maryland officials said Thursday that they expect to delay the state’s medical marijuana program as they sort through a deluge of nearly 900 applications from businesses seeking licenses to grow, dispense or process the drug.

The crush of 882 applicants brought in more than $1 million in license fees and prompted officials to push back plans to grant preliminary approval to licensees by mid-January.

Extending the deadline to review, score and award the licenses into next year “in turn will extend the overall…