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

[Alice Polarbear]

I HAD been thinking of voting for Prop 19 as a finger in the eye to the Federal Government. Learning from the article that the satanically-evil George Soros is bankrolling marijuana's legalization has convinced me to vote AGAINST Prop 19.

I suspect Soros thinks that if enough people are stoned on dope, they won't notice how our once-free country is being turned into a tyranny by his friends and puppets. Once enough citizens are turned into stoners they will be indifferent to the agenda of Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Waxman, and misc. other scum, ad nausium. The legion of dopers Soros hopes to cultivate will then be too stupid and passive to care what becomes of the country.

[Pat]

When Russia took over the Ukraine, it made alchol cheaper than water, a society that is under the influence is very easy to control.

[B. F.]

George just wants the people of California to be as stupid as he is. Go away, George! Go away!

[David Held aka BOGART DAVE]

we are humans thru natural drug interaction. we are human because of our brains not some small bone or finger. the missing link is in the mind. look to science, we know that drugs can change the structure and workingings of the brain.

STOP the war on drugs. stop arresting our own people, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and family members because a few are making big money$$ in fighting this made up war that effects the whole world. let the armed police spending billions upon billions on nothing defend our borders, secure our ports, borders, train stations, cities, schools and airports. release and expunge all records of non-violent drug offenders.FREE THE PEOPLE!!! and if they need their drug of choice let them have it in a safe place with help available(there is bigger money to be handled for more people in this model; BIG MONEY$$$)

in the 50+years that i have used illigal drugs they have only gottrn easier to obtain and more potent

WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE THAT WANT TO CONTROL MY CHOICES

[Bob Forsberg]

"Hasn't contributed yet?" What's he waiting for ..... his fountain of youth to appear? Election day is a week away nubnuts and over 1/3 of the voters have already cast their absentee ballots.

And the statement "legitimized public discourse about marijuana and marijuana policy in ways I could not have imagined a year ago, ??? Don't you mean a decade ago? Nothing's changed in a year.

I think the Liberals need a new fundraiser...this guy has lost any focus on reality.

[Blagos Twin]

Ya leagalize the weed Georgie boy can use the additional tax revenue, after all look at all his out of pocket with all that financial backing of statist sock puppets and all those advertising and web site expenses. By the way where did you say you live George? China that's right it slipped my mind.

[WeMadeAmistake]

Right George. Let's add another 50,000 highway deaths to our country by legalizing drugs. Soros is a America Hater who's real motive is to destroy the middle class both ecomically and morally. The only solice we can be thankful for, is that this misfit, who almost bankrupted the Bank of England, is 80 years old and won't be around.

[Will]

If you are worried about the children, why don't you be parents and take care of your own kids! My dads belt kept me from drinking and smoking while I was young. What ever happened to discipline?

[WIlly Brown]

This old fart needs to be put in prison for the destruction he is causing in America.

[James Jackson]

The lame and childish arguments put forth in this comments section has confirmed my resolve to go out and vote Yes on Proposition 19 next Tuesday.

[James Jackson]

The same writer has made several posts under different names condemning Proposition 19, but has not offered one cogent reason to vote against it.

[Conservative in the South]

To agree with Soros on this is to agree with him on anything. I do not live in CA and I DO believe in states rights. So whatever CA votes in for themselves is fine by me, but that POS George Soros has nothing to do with my decision or opinion.

Roger, if you think this will disengage the drug cartels, you are naive. Not stupid, just naive. Any yes win on this issue will legitimize their conquest of the Americas. We have our fair share of throats slashed, people beaten to death over pot, etc, here in the deep South as well as anywhere else. The violence will only escalate. But do what you want to do CA, just don't bring it here. Prop 19 is not a peaceful solution.IMHO.

In case anyone really cares, I thought that pot should have been legalized when I was a user too. I have seen too many families broken apart by addictive personalities. I have been clean and sober for 10 years.

[Joshua Rocks]

Is George Soros even an American citizen? Why does he get to influence our system? He sounds like a nut job to me...

[Thomas J Gassett]

It's wrong to back prop 19. All you will do is get your bud cheaper, while kids that should be learning in school will be even more loaded than they are now. As to the Mexican drug lords being out of business ... are you kidding? Instead of running pot across the border they will simply bring in more coke and heroin ... but at least the losers in CA will get cheap bud.

[burt]

If this man is for it, you know it's bad news for the United States!

[Buzzkill]

Soros is a business man, right? And a damned successful one, if the numbers are to be believed. I guess we could all accept as axiomatic that successful businessmen are successful because they do not throw their money away; they spend their money to get things that will benefit them further, right?

So what is in this for Soros?

[TIRED OF LIARS]

The same people who WANT to see Marijuana legalized are the same ones who will DEMAND nationalized (taxpayer-paid) health care to try to mange their LUNG CANCER, EMPHYSEMA, and other TERRIBLE DISEASES, as a consequence of their pot-smoking.

Grow up, people! Face reality and deal with it, instead of trying to escape it via getting high on "weed."

[TIRED OF LIARS]

"Oaksterdam University"?? We saw a ridiculous Cable TV program with people involved with that FARCE "Oaksterdam University." How childish and infantile it all was/is.

Unless Californians/Americans want to PAY for the extensive medical care that will be required to TREAT all the lunatics who contract LUNG CANCER and other RESPIRATORY DISEASES from smoking weed, they had better put a stop to this nonsense about legalizing marijuana asap. Notice that NOBODY is proposing or apparently working on finding a "Pill" based on THC that will offer some relief to people with medical conditions. Instead, they want to legalize growing, selling, and smoking pot. GET SERIOUS.

Urge all your friends, co-workers, family and neighbors to vote NO on legalizing pot in California.

[James]

With such a verbal and financial commitment to legalizing marijuana, he must be a drug user himself. Shame on you, Mr. Soros.

[pynaetlb]

I can't believe I agree with the socialist George Soros. What's wrong here? I know our current drug laws make criminals out of ordinary people, make politicians rich, and cost the tax payers billions of dollars. They don't stop drug use, that's for sure.

[Gina]

Oh George, still playing the Hitler tactics? Keep them high, hope they lose any interest in how you're helping destroy their state and the country. What a guy!

Keep the lower class permanently in a state of drug-induced stupor, keep them controlled. Yeah, that's a real plan until they wake up and face reality.

CA, Soros is not doing you a favor, it's all about him and the demonic induced destruction he wreaks every where he goes. He's going to rob you of everything and enjoy your suffering, its all about him, a self-proclaimed god and the money he'll make off of your drug induced minds.

[Layla]

This evil old man needs to stop trying to control our politics in this country.

He needs to be investigated.

[JD]

All you No on 19 people need to drop the whole "the corporations, man, the CORPORATIONS" mentality. The United States is a capitalist nation driven by business interests. This time they are on our side. You need to drop the hippie mentality and play ball, while you still have the chance. Prop 19 isn't perfect, but it *will* lay the framework for a national repeal of marijuana prohibition. Don't screw this up, California. The rest of us are counting on you.

[O2BNTEXAS]

FRUITS, NUTS AND NOW STONERS...CALIFORNIA IS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE USELESS!

[mewo nix]

This is all wrong. It's only going to make major trouble for the state, and is poorly written. There's not a real worthwhile way to do this without Federal support. If he's really going to put money into it, why doesn't he back a NATIONAL referendum so that we can put the issue to rest from coast to coast. If we put the marijuana issue to rest on a national scale, instead of this punk move California is trying to pull that will only cause trouble for the state itself, only THEN can we take advantage of the product as not just a means of getting RRRRRRIPPED, but also as a means of providing a more viable biofuel, not to mention it's many other uses for the fiber itself. It REALLY COULD be a green-revolution, but only if we did this on a national level, DEMANDING that the Federal government change their policy on marijuana altogether. To fully legalize, regulate, and tax it (think Amsterdam + industrial purpose). It would stimulate the national economy, as well as aid in the revitalization of the green movement. (no pun intended) But this way? This prop 19 nonsense, it's not right. It's a punk move with selfish intentions behind it that takes advantage of "stoners" and their desire to use marijuana recreationally. But the people behind prop 19 just want to be on TOP in the already established marijuana industry existing in California, and were all too willing to make the wrong compromises at everyone else's expense and detriment (uhhhh, Child Protective Services, who is already salivating at this prop getting passed. If you've got kids and smoke weed, you better be extremely careful not to smoke in the privacy of your own home, because if it gets out, so does your kid) all for their own personal gain. Hey, I WANT legal marijuana, I really and truly do. But this is not the way. George Soros is a multibillionaire. If he really believes in it or backs it for benevolent purposes or because he believes in marijuana, then he needs to put his money where his mouth is, and bankroll a national campaign to end this issue once and for all. Almost makes me suspicious of his motives, and wondering if he is a shareholder in Wackenhut or any other private prison industrial complex facility. Did nobody ever think of THAT??? Plenty of Federal prosecutions are going to be happening, thus stepping up the war on drugs and the private prison corporate shareholder dividends. THINK OF OTHER PEOPLE instead of your your own selfish desires to buy weed by the pack like cigarettes. It was already decriminalized, and I'd be happy with that before you go igniting the drug war fires any further than they already are.