Support for the legalization, taxation, and regulation of marijuana is at an all-time – and we swear, we’re going to limit the tired marijuana puns, metaphors, and the like, but uh, yeah … it’s at an all-time high.

The chart below is stunning in the steady uptick of support since 2017, as well as the recent spike all the way up to 68% of Americans being ready to support legalization. Only 24% are opposed, with 8% having no strong opinion either way. They pass on grass. (OK. That’s it. We promise we’ll stop.)

So where is this support coming from? Probably not from where you’d expect.

The first tab on the chart below shows support for legalization among four distinct age groups from April 2015 to April 2017. There’s unsurprisingly broad support from the under-25 crowd right up through the age 44 crowd, then it starts petering out, with the 65 and older cohort pretty much split when it comes to marijuana.

The second tab asks the same question, but we bump up the two-year window from April 2017 (when the steady shift toward legalization began) to the present day. While support from the under-25 to 44 year-olds did indeed tick up a few percentage points, the real difference came with the older generations. There was a 14% increase in support of legalization with ages 45-64, and a whopping 24% increase in the 65-and-over population.

But it’s not just older Americans who have come to think marijuana should be legal.

In fact, there’s another group that’s thought to be traditionally anti-marijuana that’s changing its tune: self-identified Republicans. They’re up significantly, along with Independents.

The first tab below, from April 2017 to April 2018, shows support of marijuana legalization broken down by what people consider themselves politically. Tab two asks the same question, but only for the last 365 days. Support is up across the board, but significantly more among Republicans and Independents.

People who consider themselves Republicans? Up 22%.

People who consider themselves Democrat? Up 14%.

People who consider themselves Independent? Up 30%.

Lastly, gender also plays a role in the rise of support for marijuana legalization.

Below, male vs. female on marijuana, from April 2017 to April 2018 (tab 1) and the last 365 days (tab 2). Among men, support for legalization went from 58% to 69%. Among women, the change was more drastic. Their support surged to 66%, up from 53%.

Clearly, support for the legalization, taxation, and regulation of marijuana is spiking. And with more and more states talking about legalization, there’s little doubt the spike will continue.

The biggest reason? The fact that older and more conservative groups are throwing their support behind marijuana legalization.