Facebook Alumnus Behind Legalize Weed Campaign

A former Facebook developer has donated $100,000 to help Proposition 19, a California-based initiative seeking to make marijuana legal in that state. 30-year-old Sean Parker was one of the original developers of Facebook when the social networking site emerged in 2004.

Proposition 19 is part of California's Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act 2010; residents of the state will vote on the measure on November 2 when they head to the polls to decide on a new governor and congressman. They'll also get the chance to vote on the legalization of marijuana. (Source: telegraph.co.uk)

Parker No Longer with Facebook

Parker, who was also a key part of the development of illegal downloading network Napster, was one of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's original developers. He's no longer working with the popular social networking site, leaving after a cocaine possession arrest in 2005. He was never charged with the offense.

Parker's not the first Facebook figure to show his support for Proposition 19. Co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, who worked closely with Zuckerberg at Harvard on developing the site, has already provided about $70,000 in donations to help legalize the drug.

For those of you who've seen the new movie The Social Network, which is based on the early years of Facebook and the life of its founders, Parker is portrayed by pop singer Justin Timberlake. (Source: pcmag.com)

Prop 19 Gaining Momentum

Pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance spokesman Stephen Gutwillig was impressed with Parker's donation. "He is a member of the generation that really gets it. We think he's pivotal to the future of drug policy reform in the country."

An estimated $2.4 million has been raised for Proposition 19 thus far. Surprisingly, Parker's donation is nowhere near the largest to the campaign; Oakland-based prominent medical marijuana supporter Richard Lee has provided an incredible $1.5 million to the campaign.