After missing a May 1 deadline to begin issuing licenses to entrepreneurs hoping to participate in Vermont’s forthcoming adult-use cannabis market, the state’s Cannabis Control Board awarded its first cultivation license May 16.

Regulators issued the license to an indoor grower in Rutland County, according to a local WCAX report, and Cannabis Control Board Chair James Pepper told the news outlet that dozens more applications are nearing approval.

“We expect to license another handful of people next week,” he said. “You know we can’t issue licenses until we have the staff in place to ensure that we are giving licenses to the right people and have the team in place that can ensure compliance with our regulations.”

Adult-use sales in Vermont are expected to launch Oct. 1.