63 percent of young Republicans back marijuana legalization

Young Republicans might belong to the “party of no,” but when it comes to marijuana, they’re saying, “Sure, why not?”

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 63 percent of Republican millennials say weed should be legal.

That’s a huge difference from the party’s older adherents. Among Republican Generation Xers (born in 1965-1980), 47 percent back marijuana legalization.

They better not tell their grandparents. Just 17 percent of Republicans from the Silent Generation (born in 1928-1945) think pot should be legal.

Here’s how those figures stack up next to Democrats:

Credit: Pew Research Center

Colorado sold 19 tons of recreational marijuana last year

In the first year of recreational marijuana sales, Colorado sold 19.3 tons of cannabis, according to statistics released by the state’s Department of Revenue.

The market is still small compared to that of medical marijuana, which saw nearly 55 tons of weed sales in 2014.

Overall, state officials say they reaped $700 million in taxes related to marijuana.

The number of retail pot stores in the state grew rapidly last year, going from roughly 200 stores six months ago to 322 stores at the end of the year, Reuters reported.

Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

One of the biggest surprises in the new industry: the popularity of edibles, like candy bars and drinks. The state sold 4.8 million edible products in 2014, counting both medical and recreational.

A 10-year-old girl is making the case for medical marijuana in Idaho

The parents of 10-year-old Alexis Carey — who suffers from extreme seizures — want lawmakers in Idaho to legalize the use of cannabis oil extracts for medical purposes, hoping it will help their daughter.

The Associated Press reports that the family began lobbying lawmakers two years ago, but believe they’ve won over more backers this time around. A bill to make the oils permissible is being sponsored by two Republicans in the state.

If the legislation passes, it would represent quite a turnaround. In 2013, the Idaho legislature passed a resolution against legalizing marijuana for any purpose.

Update: 3/4/15, 4 p.m. ET: An earlier version of this post cited statistics from a Reuters article on the tonnage of marijuana sales, but Reuters calculated their figures using British tons, not U.S. tons. The piece has been revised to reflect the difference.

Ted Hesson was formerly the immigration editor at Fusion, covering the issue from Washington, D.C. He also writes about drug laws and (occasionally) baseball. On the side: guitars, urban biking, and fiction.