Billionaire spends millions on marijuana legalization

George Soros hopes that marijuana legalization will be extended in as many U.S. states as possible. The billionaire spent large amounts of money in the recent years to achieve this, says the Washington Post in their online website.

Through NGOs, Soros has spent at least $80 million trying to promote the legalization of marijuana since 1994, when he diverted some of the money to his charitable foundations to organizations that are 'exploring' alternative policies regarding drugs.

His expenses were supplemented by Peter Lewis, the chairman of Progressive Insurance, who died (one of the largest U.S. auto insurance companies), a known user of marijuana who spent $40 million to influence the local debates.

George Soros used to make donations through the Drug Policy Alliance, an NGO which he finances with about $4 million annually. 

"The campaign for the legalization of marijuana is not a popular movement. A lot of funding and frauds made during the campaign were made by George Soros and promoted by celebrities," said John Walters, director, during the George W. Bush administration, at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.