Like Colorado before it, Washington State is now open for legal marijuana sales. With the first licenses for the first stores issued today — and a required 24-hour waiting period before sales can start — shop owners are preparing to welcome customers this week.

The first batch of licenses to sell recreational pot were emailed out this morning at 2 a.m. local time, reports NBC News. Then, 24 hours after product orders are placed, shops can official open up for business.

It sounds like it’ll be a bit confusing in these early days for shoppers to know which stores will be open and where, with about 20 shops expecting a license this week and 80 licensed growers to service those retail locations.

“Our industry is evolving,” said one licensed grower. “But it’s evolving very slowly.”

Washington ditched a prohibition on marijuana for recreational use about a year and a half ago, providing plenty of time for general confusion before sales kick off.

“It’s a mess,” says one lawyer who represents a number of hopeful marijuana retailers and growers. “People are still scrambling to get their paperwork in.”

And without all the required paperwork finished — only 18 license reviewers are sorting through thousands of applications, instead of the expected hundreds — it’s tough to get enough plants grown to sell. All that adds up to not enough supply for a great demand, which is likely to make plenty of people cranky.

If you’re expecting to waltz into a pot store this week and snag a few joints, prepare yourself. And don’t pull a Maureen Dowd, if you do get your hands on some legal Mary Jane.

Washington State’s First Legal Marijuana Shops Set to Open Amid Chaos [NBC News]

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