More than half of polled Republicans said that they would be in favour of legalizing cannabis, according to the results of a new survey from The Associated Press.



This is the first time that the majority of Republicans declared themselves in favour of legalization since the annual General Social Survey was first conducted in 1972. The survey typically features a sample-size of between 1,500 and 3,000 American adults.



While this might go against the conventional wisdom of the party, which has long opposed cannabis reform in the country, it is consistent with the shifting political tides surrounding the cannabis issue. Earlier this year, NORML reported that many more Republicans governors are talking an open approach to cannabis legislation than ever before.



The survey also showed that support for cannabis reform is rising for all age groups. Respondents aged 18-to-34-year-olds remain the biggest boosters, at 75 percent approval, but older Americans are proving to be more accepting as well. In fact, 46 percent of those polled aged 65 and older said that marijuana should be legal, which is up from the 42 percent seen in 2016.

Polls like these suggest that Americans of all political strips are ready to ditch the Nixon and Reagan-era War on Drugs, and that Republican lawmakers can no longer rely on stoking hysterical anti-cannabis sentiments to secure votes.