On 7 April, Virginia became the first southern US state to approve the use of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, reports Vox.

The law will allow adults aged 21 and over to use and grow marijuana from July. The state will also introduce a legal, regulated market, which is expected to launch in 2024.
Revenue from a new excise tax on marijuana will go to education programmes, equity initiatives, addiction treatment and public health services, the report said.
Virginia already allowed the use of marijuana for medical purposes, starting with a 2015 law that has been expanded over time. The new law extends legalisation to recreational use and other non-medical purposes.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. But beginning with former President Barack Obama's administration, the federal government has generally allowed states to legalise cannabis with minimal federal interference.
According to the report, with Virginia's law, 16 states and Washington, DC, have now legalised marijuana for recreational purposes.