Eight lucky Oregon pot farmers got a ticket to the green rush over the weekend when – The Oregon Liquor Control Commission handed them each one of the state’s first permits to grow legal cannabis.

The growers are now licensed to plant anywhere from a large house to a huge warehouse’s-worth of cannabis, as a combination of indoor and outdoor growing. According to the OLCC release, the licensees include:

New Breed Seed of Lane County

Far Out Farms, Tillamook County

Preston Greene, Washington County

Smokey Mountain Farm, Washington County

Terra Mater, Clackamas County

Pacific Wonderland Craft Cannabis, Clackamas County

Southern Oregon Cannabis Company, Jackson County

and Loved Buds, Josephine County

Oregon legalize cannabis in 2014, and collected $6.84 million in cannabis sales taxes between January and April 20 this year on $27 million in sales — money that would otherwise be in the state’s vast cannabis black market. Oregonians were among the first to legalize medical cannabis after California, and residents have long-reported relatively high rates of pot use. U.S. legal cannabis sales could total nearly $7 billion this year, analysts estimate, and grow to $21 billion by 2020.

Amid growing concerns over racial and class equity in the legalized weed trade, the OLCC said the permittees represent a cross-section of the industry. Oregon’s annual pot farm permit fees are some of the nation’s lowest, from $3,750 – $5,750. By comparison, the state of Hawaii is charging $75,000 per applicant.

“These licensees reflect the pioneering spirit Oregon is known for,” stated Rob Patridge, OLCC Chair. “They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and possess the entrepreneurial spirit of this industry.”

Oregon pot farmers must pass a criminal background check, get local land use approval, and use a Cannabis Tracking System to prevent diversion.

OLCC has received 910 applications to grow cannabis and expects to receive up to 2000 this year. It will issue about 850 licenses in 2016.

“Today is just another step on the path to implementation,” said Steve Marks, Executive Director of the OLCC. “We’re going to continue to remain focused on creating a recreational marijuana system that ensures public safety, protects our children, and fosters a successful legal market for the recreational use of marijuana.”