California is now the sixth state in the nation to allow recreational cannabis sales.
Santa Ana is one of few cities allowing sales to begin selling Jan. 1.
The city, which is the only one in all of Orange County that has the required legal permits to sell pot as of Monday, scrambled to issue permits this past week.
Guns, pets and pot: 2018 brings lots of new California laws
Gun, pets and pot: 2018 brings lots of new California laws
Several dispensaries, including 420 Central, located at 420 W. Central Avenue in Santa Ana, began selling pot at 7 a.m.
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"We want to make this a destination where you can come and enjoy vertical integration -- from seed to sale - at one address. We're gearing up. We're really excited," said 420 Central CEO Robert Taft Jr.
In the Los Angeles area, only two shops in West Hollywood are permitted to start sales on Tuesday.
Pot is now legal in California for adults 21 and older, and individuals can grow up to six plants and possess as much as an ounce of the drug.
But finding a retail outlet to buy non-medical pot in California won't be easy, at least initially. Only about 90 businesses in all of California received state licenses to open on New Year's Day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.