Famous Christian televangelist Pat Robertson surprised some viewers when he came out in support of marijuana legalization on Wednesday’s episode of The 700 Club.

“We’re locking up people that have taken a couple puffs of marijuana and next thing you know they’ve got 10 years with mandatory sentences. These judges just say, they throw up their hands and say nothing we can do with these mandatory sentences. We’ve got to take a look at what we’re considering crimes and that’s one of ’em,” said Robertson, 80, in the clip.

“I’m not exactly for the use of drugs, don’t get me wrong. But I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing is costing us a fortune, and it’s ruining young people. Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That’s not a good thing.” (via JesusNeedsNewPR)

Robertson has attributed divine influence to tragic events like Hurricane Katrina and the earthquakes in Haiti. As the founder of the Christian Coalition, he’s long been a leader of the politically conservative Christian Right, a movement for which legalizing drugs wasn’t exactly a priority.

Perhaps that’s changing a little.

NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) responded to Robertson’s recent statement on the blog Opposing Views: