Multibillionaire investor George Soros backs Proposition 19 [Updated]

George Soros, the multibillionaire investor who helped bankroll three initiatives to change drug laws in California, endorsed the marijuana legalization initiative Monday and plans to make a major financial contribution to the campaign.

Soros, who invested $3 million in the medical marijuana initiative and two other measures, made his announcement in an opinion piece published online by the Wall Street Journal. "Proposition 19 already is a winner no matter what happens on election day. The mere fact of its being on the ballot has elevated and legitimized public discourse about marijuana and marijuana policy in ways I could not have imagined a year ago," Soros wrote.  The article is scheduled to appear in Tuesday’s print edition.

Soros, who runs a hedge fund and founded the Open Society Foundations, has not yet donated to the campaign. But Michael Vachon, an advisor to Soros, said that "he plans to make a significant contribution."

       Related: L.A. Sheriff will enforce pot laws even if Prop. 19 passes.

The initiative was the brainchild of Richard Lee, an Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur who has spent at least $1.5 million to draft the measure, collect signatures to qualify it for the ballot and pay for a campaign. The wealthy donors who have helped to pay for past efforts to change California’s drug laws had largely stayed out of the campaign until the last few weeks.

Peter B. Lewis, a retired insurance company executive, recently donated $209,005 to the campaign, and George Zimmer, the founder and CEO of Men’s Wearhouse, recently gave $50,000. Both businessmen
supported past initiatives to change the state’s drug laws.

In his opinion piece, Soros said that the nation’s marijuana laws "are clearly doing more harm than good" at a cost of billions of dollars a year "to enforce this unenforceable prohibition."

Soros wrote that regulating and taxing marijuana would reduce the crime and violence linked to criminal drug gangs and violations of civil liberties "that occur when large numbers of otherwise law-abiding citizens are subject to arrest." He also noted that minorities are arrested at higher rates for marijuana crimes, creating arrest records that may follow them through life.

Although he endorsed Proposition 19, noting that it would allow recreational use and small-scale cultivation, Soros also suggested "its deficiencies can be corrected on the basis of experience." Besides allowing adults 21 and older to grow and possess marijuana, the initiative would allow cities and counties to authorize commercial cultivation, sales and taxation.

"Just as the process of repealing national alcohol prohibition began with individual states repealing their own prohibition laws, so individual states must now take the initiative with respect to repealing marijuana prohibition laws," Soros wrote.

[Updated: He donate $1 million to help pass Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization measure, which he endorsed Monday as "a major step forward."

The donation makes Soros, who is the chairman of a hedge fund and who founded the Open Society Foundations, the largest donor to the campaign after Richard Lee, an Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur, who has spent at least $1.5 million on the measure.]

-- John Hoeffel

Photo: AP

Comments

[Michael Oberndorf]

Soros is a global neo-fascist of the worst sort, spending massive amounts of money to destroy freedom in America. He is well aware of the damage that uncontrolled drug use will do, and thus, supports legalization. This bum should be deported.

[Josh In Faheel]

Well, I despise George Soros, but I will give him credit on this topic. I am a conservative and I agree with him on legalizing pot. The pros far outweigh the cons. The fact is it's pervasive in society so it's much better to have it regulated and have age checks done on who is purchasing it. The now legal farming jobs will create legitimate wealth that can be taxed. Taking money away from drug gangs, people will have much less exposure to the underworld and harder drugs, I mean whats NOT to like?

[WilliamPenn]

Soros need the entire population stoned to implement his communist agenda. Sober people reject him.

[MGFREE]

Pete Lewis of Progressive Insurance and anything for money and power Georgie Soros must have large investments in the sale and distribution of weed. Wake up California! These people want you to move increasingly to the left. African Americansand minorities are arrested more often for weed related crimes because their actions are illegal not because of their race or heritage. As to the records they must carry around for their crimes, so be it. We are all responsible for our actions. No one gets a free pass. You do not need weed taxes but you do need structure and again resonsibility from your state government. Stop trying to solve problems by throwing away money. Develop moral values both in your homes and in your government.

[Larry]

Its funny to me that these liberals have done everything to try and stop people from smoking cigarettes, but now say its ok to smoke weed. Give a person that smokes cigarettes or weed for 5 years an IQ test and you'll see which one is worse.

[Ron T]

Why is Soros so interested in pot smoking laws? He want to cause another crisis so he can make a profit. This is a simular tactic he as used to collapse 3 countries currency. He as started groups that support the tactic; ie. MoveOn.org, the Tide foundation and others. He has no concern about the law or the people, just the bottomline. This can't be good for California or the US. This felon is up to his typical undercut tactics. Beware!

[RightStuff]

George Soros appears to be a human body which has been taken over by one of Satan's demons. The man is not of this world, and he is evil.

[MDWhite]

The cowards way: "It's all about money. We can't control it, so just legalize it."

And the libs constantly rail against the influence of big money! Soros has billions, but is essentially worthless as a human being.

He should just shut up and confine himself to honest, legitimate work that benefits everyone, like currency speculation and handing out deportation orders for the Nazis.

[Excalibur]

......it isn't religion that is "the opiate of the masses"......right, stoners......!!

[Craig]

If you all SUPPORT FREEDOM then you will support legalization. If you are truly conservative and care about not having a nanny state you will support legalization. But, if you support mexican drug cartels controlling the sales of marijuana so they can make money and invade the border, then I guess there is no saving you.

Real conservatives support legalization, the fake ones want a republican nanny state. It should be obvious to everyone that it isn't working.

[MDWhite]

He who controls the supply, controls the addict. This has nothing to do with money; it has everything to do with addiction.

I've known a lot of druggies in my almost 60 years and everyone I knew started on his or her road to addiction on pot. Talented people who threw away their lives. Suicides, homelessness, pain, hopelessness and grief. That's all that comes of that crap.

My young cousin was murdered because of it. He tried to break away, but his supplier shotgunned him in the back in a dreamy, pot-induced haze.

I wish the oh-so-cool '60s throw-backs would simply grow up and stop trying to justify their perpetual adolescence.

[FreeYourMind]

If something will weaken America, create more liberals, and make him money, George Soros is all for it.

[Craig]

There are many still that haven't learned the lessons of prohibition. We used to have terrible turf wars caused by alcohol smuggling. We got rid of them by legalization. We now have terrible turf wars by drug smuggling. So what is the next logical step? Legalize tax and regulate.

If you care about having the government not tell you what you can or can't ingest, then you will support freedom and legalization.

[Davis]

I am a conservative. I hate big government! I do not smoke dope. Legalize it. Arrest the DUI drivers. Simple.

[John]

I agree with Prop 19, however if you think that it will end the drug wars on the border, you are sadly mistaken. Cocaine is the product that they make the real money on. Pot is just secondary. This would put a small dent in the pockets of the cartels. It's a good start though.

[doug]

Legalize cannibas, then vote for conservatives so that the taxes on the cannibas are affordable.

[AC7880]

Criminalize Soros, and jail or deport him.

[dar]

Legalize it and make Americans even more stupid!

[Crash Cargo]

Soros, the Great Mogul Moneychanger, would love to turn California and the USA into the Land of the Lotus Eaters. I used to posit to my students that if I wanted to take over this country, I would not use violence, I would have free access to drugs on every street corner. I am sure that Soros already has his investment money pre positioned to take advantage of the enormous piles of money to be made off the Pot Heads. What better product to invest in ?... A product that creates a dependency. And the TAXES that could be harvested... dreamy and dizzying to legalize something that is as "essential" to its users and is a portal to even more profitable drugs. (Never mind the social destruction to the producer countries.) When FDR reversed the great Progressive experiment in Prohibition, he said that "what America needs now is a beer" (paraphrase) What he was thinking about was the tidal wave of liquor tax money that would come into the hands of the National Treasury. If Soros has his finger in it, is is not in the best interest of this country...just his own interest.

[Globalwarmer]

Keep em stoned and stupid, ain't that right George?

[MQBitsko]

Dude is a walking cliche. Has he ever heard a liberal talking point that he disagreed with?

[PDirt]

If Soros is behind it then it must be something that he believes will help destroy our country.

[Davidtoo]

Literally everyone I know that smoked pot went on to harder drugs. It is definitely a gateway drug. It also makes people that smoke it less productive and more stupid for about 4 hours.

[Mike S]

These people will just make it harder for any real reform of the marijuana laws to take place. I wish this Soros bunch would just go away and not have their hands in the process. Makes everyone else look cheep.

[Harley2002]

Geeeez what a bunch of dead heads are posting here. Soros is using his wealth to undermine all our freedoms. Here is a menace that needs to be stopped. But since he backs legalizing Pot the brain dead yell "Right On Soros". Now I know why I left Ca. years ago only the bums and stupid seem to remain there. "Right On Soros Dude! Roll another Fatty"..