Peter B. Lewis -- the billionaire chairman of Progressive Corp. and well-known medical marijuana advocate -- is seeking proposals to run a campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio. The issue would go on the ballot in 2012. While Democratic lawmakers have tried and failed in recent years to pass medical a marijuana law in Ohio, Lewis' latest inquiry represents a different tack. By going directly to voters through a ballot initiative, Lewis and his supporters could circumvent a GOP-controlled legislature and a Republican governor who likely would oppose such a law.

Mexicans are paying a high cost for drug prohibition -- the death toll of its drug prohibition war in April was 1,400, the highest number of monthly killings since the campaign began in late 2006. The previous record of casualties was 1,322 killings in August 2010. Attorney General Arturo Chavez says more than 15,000 people died in 2010, making it the deadliest year ever.