Georgia Lawmaker Illegally Obtains Medical Marijuana for Patient

Georgia State Representative, Allen Peake, has confessed to going across state lines to obtain medical marijuana for a juvenile patient that suffers from a severe seizure disorder. Peake is taking a lot of heat since he is committing a felony for making good on a promise he made to families regarding access to medical marijuana products for their children.

Peake said, “Listen, I made a commitment to these families when I got involved, that I was willing to do whatever it took make sure they had access to a product from a reputable manufacturer. I’ve made good on that promise. If it involved civil disobedience, it’s been absolutely worth it,” according to reports at AJC.com.

He went on further to say, “I got a text this morning from the mother of a young child who I delivered product to, and the heartfelt thanks from this mother, the difference in this child – the increase in cognitive ability, the reduction in seizures, has been worth every bit of risk that I’ve taken.”

A law was passed in 2015 making it legal for patients suffering from life-threatening and serious illnesses like sickle-cell anemia and cancer to use medical marijuana oils in Georgia, but the cultivation of marijuana remains illegal. Patients and their caregivers are permitted to have up to 20-ounces of the oil, with proper licensing, but they have no legal way of obtaining the oil.

Georgia’s Governor, Nathan Deal, issued a stern statement regarding Peake’s decision stating, “Everybody has to make their own decision. I would point out, however, that in the truest tradition of civil disobedience – Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. – the real emphasis of civil disobedience is accepting the punishment to what you consider to be unjust. I’ll leave it at that.”

Blaine Cloud, a doctor in Georgia treats his daughter with marijuana oil for her rare genetic disorder. He agrees that the laws need to be changed. Measures are in place to expand the qualifying conditions list so that more patients can obtain licenses to use medical marijuana products. However, the medical marijuana law in Georgia still forces patients to obtain marijuana illegally.