Marijuana for recreational use became available for public sale in Washington on Tuesday.
The evergreen state joins Colorado as the only two states that allow people to legally purchase pot.
Washington's Liquor Control Board gave out 24 retail marijuana business licenses prior to the legalization on Monday, according to The Huffington Post. Two opened their doors on Tuesday. 80 marijuana growers and cultivators received licenses to produce the plant in March. However, a lack of time to produce enough medical marijuana could create shortages.
The governing body anticipated the demand for pot will be more than the state can supply.
"Supply is going to be tight as this market launches," explained Brian Smith, the organization's communications director. "This is an emerging market that doesn't exist anywhere in the world. It's a lot different than Colorado. And just like Colorado did when it first opened up, it had some shortages, but Washington's supply system is very robust and in a little bit of time all those suppliers will be feeding into the retail chain and there will be a lot."
One excited out-of-town guest from Ablilene, Kansas was among the first to purchase the plant at Bellingham, Washington's Top Shelf Cannabis. The exclusive shop was one of two places to start selling the drug upon its legalization.
"It's just a happy coincidence and an opportunity we're not going to have for a long time," Sarah Gorton told Fox News. "I'm really thrilled to be a part of something that I never thought would happen." Groton was visiting Washington with her family to celebrate her grandfather's 84th birthday.
Washington and Colorado legalized marijuana for adults at least 21 years old in 2012, according to the Post. State-licensed programs for growing, marketing, and taxing marijuana were also put into place.
