Good news for weed smokers in Washington state: Starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, a select group of pot shops selling cannabis for recreational use will be allowed to open their doors to the public.

Early Monday, state officials emailed a small number of retail shop owners an electronic copy of a marijuana license, NBC News reported.

As a result, the stores that received the email began to scramble to get ahold of the plant, which is being stored in warehouses.

The first two dozen stores were being notified in advance to give them extra time to stock their shelves with cannabis before they are allowed to open Tuesday, said Randy Simmons, the state Liquor Control Board's project manager for legal marijuana.

The state issued 24 store licenses: 14 in western Washington and 10 in eastern Washington.

"We're pretty stoked," John Evich, who invested in Bellingham's Top Shelf Cannabis, told The Associated Press. "We haven't had any sleep in a long time, but we're excited for the next step."

There is no telling how many of the pot shops being licensed in Washington plan to open Tuesday. Officials say more than 300 stores across the state applied for a license to sell recreational pot. Over 2,600 people have applied to become licensed growers, but fewer than 100 have been approved.

As a result, marijuana in Washington is initially expected to come with high prices and shortages -- $25 a gram or more on the first day of sales, double the rate "in the state's unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries."

Alison Holcomb, who drafted Washington's law, is among planning to buy some of the first legal pot at one local store. "No one thought legalization could happen in our lifetime," she said. "I think this is going to be a little overwhelming for me."

Recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado on Jan. 1.