(CNN) Recreational marijuana is now for sale on the East Coast.

Massachusetts became the first state east of the Mississippi to legally sell recreational weed Tuesday as two marijuana dispensaries opened to the public more than two years after voters approved its use.

The two dispensaries are Cultivate Holdings in Leicester and New England Treatment Access in Northampton, located in the central and western parts of the state, respectively.

"To get here, licensees underwent thorough background checks, passed multiple inspections, and had their products tested, all to ensure public health and safety as this new industry gets up and running," Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steven J. Hoffman said

Massachusetts residents voted to legalize the use, distribution and cultivation of recreational marijuana in a 2016 referendum.

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