Virginia lawmakers approved a bill this past weekend that would legalize the sale and recreational use of marijuana beginning in 2024. The move makes Virginia the first Southern state to vote to legalize recreational marijuana, joining 15 other states and the District of Columbia. Per the bill that passed, possession of up to an ounce of marijuana would become legal beginning Jan. 1, 2024. At the same time, sales would begin and regulations would go into effect to control the marijuana marketplace in Virginia. Virginia lawmakers decriminalized recreational marijuana last year, making simple possession a civil penalty that can be punished by a fine of no more than $25.