RIP Peter Lewis

slumdog80

Well-Known Member
[h=1]Billionaire Peter Lewis, Advocate Of Marijuana Legalization, Dies At 80[/h] Comment Now Follow Comments




Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, died on Saturday afternoon at his home in Coconut Grove Florida apparently due to natural causes. He had just celebrated his 80[SUP]th[/SUP] birthday on November 11.
Billionaire Peter Lewis: My War On Drug Laws Clare O'Connor Forbes Staff
High Roller: How Billionaire Peter Lewis Is Bankrolling Marijuana Legalization Clare O'Connor Forbes Staff
Lewis was probably the country’s most high-profile billionaire backer of drug law reform. During the November 2012 election, he spent almost $3 million helping secure the passage of marijuana legalization bills in both Washington state and Massachusetts. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws estimated that Lewis had spent well over $40 million funding the cause since the 1980s. “Our marijuana laws are outdated, ineffective and stupid,” Lewis told Forbes in a 2011 interview. “I am a progressive by birth, by nature, by philosophy—that’s the name of the insurance company I ran as well, which is coincidental—but I am a small ‘p’ progressive. I don’t believe that laws against things that people do regularly, like safe and responsible use of marijuana, make any sense. “
Lewis also had a personal reason for publicly backing marijuana. The Ohio native, who says he first tried marijuana at age 39, used the drug to combat pain from a partial amputation he had at age 64 on his left leg due to an incurable infection.
A Princeton grad, he started out as an underwriter at Progressive, which his father founded, in 1955. He took over 10 years later and remained CEO until 2000. At the time of his death, his net worth was over $1.3 billion, the majority of which was tied up in Progressive’s stock.
Lewis joined the Giving Pledge in 2012, signing off his letter to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett with: “Take care of yourselves. Stay well and happy. Joy, Love and Peace.” An art enthusiast, Lewis owned 6,500 pieces of art. He had donated $100 million to Princeton’s arts programs and last year announced a $5 million gift to the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2012, his first big donation toward his city’s revitalization in ten years. The Daily Princentonian said that Lewis donated hundreds of millions to Princeton during his lifetime and had several buildings including the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics named after him.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Lewis is survived by Rosel and by his brother, Daniel Lewis, of Coconut Grove; daughter Ivy Lewis, of Princeton, N.J.; sons Adam Joseph Lewis, of Aspen, Col. and Jonathan Lewis of Coconut Grove; his ex-wife, Toby Devan Lewis; and five grandchildren.
 

slumdog80

Well-Known Member
[h=1]Billionaire Peter Lewis: My War On Drug Laws[/h] Comment Now Follow Comments




Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive, net worth $1.05bn

Progressive Insurance chairman Peter Lewis has devoted many years and millions of dollars to reforming marijuana policy. Below, in his own words, he tells FORBES why he’ll keep battling drug laws. This story is featured in the latest FORBES 400 issue, newsstand date October 10, 2011.
Our marijuana laws are outdated, ineffective and stupid. I’m not alone in thinking this: Half of Americans believe we should stop punishing people for using marijuana. And not coincidentally, more than half of Americans have used marijuana themselves. I am one of those Americans, and I know firsthand that marijuana can be helpful and that it certainly isn’t cause for locking anyone up.
My story is fairly simple. I grew up after college in a world where social drinking was the norm but marijuana was hidden. When I was 39 I tried marijuana for the first time. I found it to be better than scotch. But it wasn’t until I had serious medical problems that I realized how important marijuana could be.
When I was 64 my left leg was amputated below the knee because there was an infection that couldn’t be cured. I spent a year after the amputation in excruciating pain and a year in a wheelchair. So during that period I was very glad I had marijuana. It didn’t exactly eliminate the pain, but it made the pain tolerable—and it let me avoid those heavy-duty narcotic pain relievers that leave you incapacitated.
I am a progressive by birth, by nature, by philosophy—that’s the name of the insurance company I ran as well, which is coincidental—but I am a small ‘p’ progressive. I don’t believe that laws against things that people do regularly, like safe and responsible use of marijuana, make any sense. Everything that has been done to enforce these laws has had a negative effect, with no results.


It’s become sort of a central philanthropic interest of mine—by no means my only interest. But I’m pretty clear. I’ve thought it through, and I’m trying to accomplish something. My mission is to reduce the penalties for growing, using and selling marijuana. It’s that simple.
I’ve been conducting a great deal of research on public opinion on marijuana. Change in this area is inevitable, much like the movement toward equal rights for gays and lesbians. An ever shrinking fraction of the country resists changing marijuana laws, largely for moral reasons. But change is coming. It’s just a question of when and how we get there.
When you think about all the people who have used marijuana—from political leaders to sports stars to corporate executives to people from every walk of life—one way to win this battle is for people to just be honest. If everyone who used marijuana stood up and said, “I use this; it’s pretty good,” the argument would be over.
I’m amazed that anyone could oppose marijuana for medical use. It’s compassionate. Doctors recommend it. But the federal government is so hung up on its war on drugs that it refuses to even allow medical research on marijuana. So I’ve *supported changing the laws state by state, and I’ll *continue to do so.
On legalization beyond medical use, we may be some years away, or we may find that we suddenly reach a tipping point, much like the end of alcohol prohibition in the last century. I’m supporting innovative ideas to move toward a system that would regulate, control and tax marijuana.
I’m retired; I have time to work on this, to treat it with the same seriousness that I treated my former work running a large corporation. I care deeply about it. I deeply believe that we’ll have a better country and a better world if marijuana is treated more or less like alcohol.















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Clare O'Connor Forbes Staff Follow (930)


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I'm a staff writer at Forbes, where until recently I chased the super-rich for our Forbes 400 and World's Billionaires lists. Now I'm covering the consumer economy, writing about the big personalities reinventing retail. Before Forbes, I worked as a news reporter in the UK and my home country of Bermuda, a travel writer for Frommer's and an intern for CNN's Anderson Cooper while completing a master's degree at Columbia University. Got a story idea? Email me at coconnor@forbes.com.


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slumdog80

Well-Known Member
I did not know if The Buckaroo Times covered Forbes, I could take any chances. Lewis is someone who
deserves a lot of credit in where we are today. I even switched insurance because of the guy.
 

buckaroo bonzai

Well-Known Member
I did not know if The Buckaroo Times covered Forbes, I could take any chances. Lewis is someone who
deserves a lot of credit in where we are today. I even switched insurance because of the guy.

its hard to be everywhere all at once but we try---


RIP mR leWis!! --prayers to you and your loved ones



...truthfully slum--I missed this guy on my BB radar here in the 10tHd--how could I have missed such a great man and his advocacy?? ---just shows your never too young--

some of the healthiest 70yr olds i have met do bong rips everyday--wish I could have burned with this guy


big up and respect to WOW!--->what a great man!!
 

abe supercro

Well-Known Member
Peter Lewis spread those duckets around alright. too bad our cause don't have more wealthy advocates.

Emerald Cup? hey that's three weeks away. only 21 days.
If I drop everything that don't really matter then maybe I'll see this giant festival.
I can get bug-eyed in redwoods and free my mind.

You Lucky Dog
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
Weed is legal in Massachusetts now ??
Never heard of this man before, but sounds like he's done a lot for cannabis, which is cool with me..

Rip Mr lewis.. :(
 

Murfy

Well-Known Member
bush cheney-

and soros-nader are both prog. therein the trick. they both say truth, but to what end? one would have the drones over them, and the other over us.
 

TheMan13

Well-Known Member
bush cheney-

and soros-nader are both prog. therein the trick. they both say truth, but to what end? one would have the drones over them, and the other over us.
True but those in charge ($$$) are the only ones that can obtain "justice for all" in the end. These crossovers understand and command the true nature of "justice" in this country/world. If "justice" lay with them, only they can share it with us. The progressive pimped view of "wealth distribution" is in clear contrast with their lawfare/"justice for the ruling class" that enslaves 90% of us today living in wastelands of their creation that they simply no longer have a use for :(

[video=youtube;lgT1AidzRWM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgT1AidzRWM[/video]
 

slumdog80

Well-Known Member
Weed is legal in Massachusetts now ??
Never heard of this man before, but sounds like he's done a lot for cannabis, which is cool with me..

Rip Mr lewis.. :(
It's been decriminalized on small possession for a while now but, just went med.
 

NurseNancy420

Well-Known Member
There is still Branson across the pond ;)

[video=youtube;layYLAofgcw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=layYLAofgcw[/video]
;)~
That thought had crossed my mind. Plus Sir Richard would probably be more fun at the victory celebration!!!!
 
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