CAPITALISTS FOR CANNABIS

At least three members of The Forbes 400 share an unlikely interest:
marijuana. Investor George Soros, Progressive Corp.'s Peter Lewis and
for-profit educator John Sperling all support initiatives aimed at
legalizing pot for medicinal purposes, and other drug-law-reform issues.

For Soros it's just one of his many libertarian causes. Lewis and
Sperling donate to many of the same drug-law-reform groups, including
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Americans For Medical Rights. Last year
their money backed successful medical marijuana initiatives in Oregon,
Washington, Nevada and Alaska, as well as in Sperling's home state of
Arizona. Clevelander Lewis stresses he's "made no specific efforts to
legalize marijuana," but he would like to soften the "ridiculously
incarcerating" drug laws now in effect.

Sperling, whose Apollo Group runs the for-profit University of
Phoenix, criticizes federal drug policy as much as he does federal
regulations on education. So far he's rolled more than $3 million into
efforts that would "turn the whole [drug] problem over to the medical
and public health professions."

But for all their huff and puff, the movement faces stiff opposition
from state legislatures and the feds. Medical marijuana initiatives
proved extremely popular in the West; it remains to be seen whether
Eastern voters will be equally as receptive.