Peter B. Lewis, a retired insurance company executive, has donated $209,005 to the campaign to pass Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization measure on California's Nov. 2 ballot.

The contributions -- to the main campaign committee as well as an independent one -- make Lewis the biggest contributor to the effort after Richard Lee, the Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur who sponsored the measure and has spent more than $1.5 million .

“I’m supporting the campaign because I support common-sense reform of the nation’s drug laws,” Lewis said Saturday in a statement. “I admire the effort, energy and commitment of the people involved in the campaign, and want to help them get their message out to the voters.”

The campaign began attracting some larger donations in the last two weeks after a Public Policy Institute of California poll of 1,104 likely voters showed the initiative with 52% support.

Sean Parker, a Facebook billionaire, donated $100,000 at the beginning of the month. And David Bronner, the president of Escondido-based Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, joined with the owners of a hemp clothing store to pledge $100,000 to get college students to vote for the initiative.