Police reported no problems with the crowds, and government officials marveled at its calm. Overall, the day went as marijuana activists had hoped it would: In the most extraordinary way possible, it was ordinary.

"What I love about it," Denver Councilman Albus Brooks said, "is the peacefulness of the crowd ... and the diversity."

At 8 a.m., the lines of customers outside most stores were fairly short, but they built as the day went on. By mid-afternoon, customers at BotanaCare in Northglenn said they waited as long as five hours to make their purchases. At LoDo Wellness, in Denver, the line stretched down the block, with a wait of around three hours.

Stores were charging $30 to $50 — and sometimes more — for an eighth of an ounce of marijuana, which is slightly to significantly higher than prices for medical marijuana. At least one store had upped its prices for the day. Several stores, including 3D Cannabis, imposed limits on how much customers could buy.