NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — If New York chooses to follow Massachusetts’ lead on recreational marijuana, Tuesday provided a window in to what it might see.

Hundreds of people swarmed the New England Treatment Access store on Tuesday morning as Massachusetts became the first state on the East Coast to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.

The store is one of two in the state that now sell recreational marijuana after the state legislature legalized it in 2016.

“I think Massachusetts can really lead by example,” said Amanda Rositano, New England Access Treatment’s director of compliance. “I think the Commonwealth has done a great job.”

The line to purchase marijuana products was long, and people waited on it for two and a half hours. The atmosphere was quiet and calm, like a crowd waiting to get in to a midnight movie showing. People came by with ponchos, coffee and snacks to help the crowd ward off the cold and rain as they waited.

Even though their purchases were legal, some customers declined to speak to reporters or would only give their first name, a nod to the idea that what they were doing had been illegal just a few hours ago.

One man, who gave his name as Jim, said he stopped by and got in line on a whim after going to a doctor’s appointment.

“I haven’t smoked in 27 years,” he said. “I just wanted to check it out.”

A woman who gave her name as Corienne, 52, said she had been smoking medical marijuana for over two years after being addicted to opioids for eight years. At one point she was on 10 different drugs to help her deal with various mental issues, she said, and now relies only on marijuana.

“I have PTSD and depression,” she said. “This is important to me.”

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz made the first purchase as the store opened, a $20 dark chocolate bar at 8 a.m.

RELATED: Soares will stop prosecuting low-level marijuana cases

Customers were allowed in a handful at a time and had their identification checked at the entrance and again at the counter.

Once inside, they were given a catalog detailing the store’s products. The store sells flowers, or marijuana for smoking, vape pens, pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, or joints, concentrates, lotions, oils, as well as edibles. All products come with various taxes that add 20 percent to the purchase price.

Store employees work to make sure the customers understand the effects of their purchases, Rositano said.

“What we like to do here at NETA is to make sure all of our customers are really well-educated…so they understand what they’re purchasing, how it is going to affect them and how to consume is responsibly,” she said.

Michelle Kelly drove from a town north of Boston, getting in to the store just after 10 a.m. She bought two different strains of flowers and two chocolate bars.

“I’ve been looking forward to it all week,” she said. “This is cool. It’s expensive though.”

The cannabis industry has seen a shift toward edible and infused products, Rositano said.

“I’d say it’s about 50/50 between flowers and infused products,” she said. “It changes the perception. It helps to provide another option for people who don’t want to smoke who maybe want to try cannabis.”

In the past few years, 10 states across the country have legalized recreational marijuana and 33 states, including New York have legalized medical marijuana. Earlier this year Canada legalized recreational marijuana. New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania are also discussing whether to legalize the drug for recreational use.

There have been steps to ease the path for what some see as the inevitable legalization of recreational marijuana in New York.

In July, state health officials issued a long-awaited report concluding that the benefits of legalization in New York outweigh the risks. The report found that depending on the tax rate, the state could hope to generate between $250 million and $678 million in revenue. Lawmakers aren't due back in Albany until January.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has softened his stance on legalization, after previously referring to marijuana as a “gateway drug”. A task force is currently researching and crafting legislation for consideration in the upcoming 2019 legislative session, and public hearings on the matter are being held statewide.

Last week, Albany County District Attorney David Soares said his office would not prosecute low-level marijuana offenses, joining the Manhattan and Brooklyn district attorneys.

New York residents can purchase marijuana in Massachusetts, Rositano said, but they can’t transport it across state lines.

New England Access Treatment opened in 2015 selling medical marijuana. Rositano said its medical patients will remain the company’s priority.

Under Massachusetts law, adults over 21 years can legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana product. It is still illegal to smoke in public, smoke and drive or sell marijuana without a state license.

Jodi Oliver, a self-described anarchist, was in line with friends, with her hood up to ward off the cold. She said she had smoked for years and was curious whether the store’s product was better than what she grew at home.

A few blocks away, Phil Hartwright kept watch over a quiet bowling alley. Since the medical marijuana program began, there have been customers who had clearly purchased marijuana before going bowling, but there hadn’t been any issues, he said.

Across the street from the dispensary, at Northampton Wine and Liquors, Rita Patel said that as a neighbor and small business owner, she wasn’t worried about the impact the expanded business would bring beyond possibly taking up her parking spaces.

“I have no concerns,” she said. “People should use that freedom responsibly.”