Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

Texas Republicans have now adopted a platform that’s more cannabis-friendly than any time in their history. The party is calling for the decriminalization of possession of one ounce or less of cannabis, expansion of the state’s medical cannabis program and changing cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug.

“What this demonstrates is that even the most conservative Texans among us are starting to look at new approaches to cannabis and starting to educate themselves about the fact that prohibition has failed,” Heather Fazio, coalition coordinator with Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, told the Dallas Observer. “This is a medicine for many people.”

Around 60 percent of Texas voters support legalizing social use cannabis, according to a poll from April. That pretty much matches the percentage of Americans who support legalization throughout the nation, and this is coming from one of the most conservative states in the country. It may be that Republicans in Texas are trying to catch up with the times.

“Support for legalization is absolutely increasing in Texas, and not just Republicans stand to lose political ground for supporting outdated cannabis policies,” Morgan Fox, media relations director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, told Cannabis News Box. “Any leader who continues to ignore their constituents, who generally know more about cannabis policy, could see a backlash from voters.”

The Democratic Senate candidate trying to replace Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, Beto O’Rourke, is currently campaigning on cannabis legalization, as are many other Democrats running for office in the state. Cruz is an opponent of full legalization, and many Republican candidates agree with him.

Texas’ Republican Party may be easing up on cannabis policies, but they’re still far away from supporting legalization of social use cannabis, and so are many Republicans who are running in the state. Fox said the new platform is a good start, but they need to go further.

“It is definitely a step in the right direction, but until cannabis is regulated and controlled by legitimate businesses with government oversight, we will continue to see many of the harms caused by prohibition continue,” Fox said.

Fox said a state the size of Texas legalizing would create a huge industry that would benefit the state’s economy and its residents. We’re still months away from the big election, but it’s looking like the debate over cannabis legalization could play a significant role in who gets elected.