Hero Georgia Lawmaker Distributes Cannabis Oil
Photo by Connor.Carey
Rep. Allen Peake is distributing cannabis to hundreds of patients who can legally possess cannabis but currently have no means of acquiring any. There are few politicians who are willing to do whatever it takes to see that the laws they introduce are properly carried out, but Peake introduced multiple medical cannabis bills in Georgia over the last few years. As a devout Christian and clean-cut Republican, he isn’t your typical medical cannabis hero.
Peake runs the Medical Cannabis Working Group, a network of activists that make sure patients are getting life-saving cannabis oil. Georgia’s medical cannabis “conundrum” is the fact that cannabis oil is legal, but there’s no way to grow cannabis or purchase the oil from a dispensary.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to be able to help get product to these families, these citizens who have debilitating illnesses,” Peake told the Associated Press. Peake reportedly runs his campaign and his cannabis distribution operation inside of his Macon-based office. In the past, Peake helped to successfully expand Georgia’s medical cannabis program, which allows for low-THC cannabis oil.
Peake is also CEO of an enormous franchise chain with over 100 restaurant locations including Fazoli’s and Cheddar’s. Peake says that he’s indirectly donated about $100,000 per year to medical cannabis research. “I’ll never recover that money,” he added, saying that helping people recover is what drives himself. Peake doesn’t sell the cannabis oil because doing so would be illegal in Georgia. Peake has his own medical cannabis card through the Georgia Department of Public Health, although he doesn’t partake.
Peake’s 2015 bill allows patients to possess low-THC cannabis oil, however, Gov. Nathan Deal has refused to legalize cannabis cultivation, which complicated access for patients. Peake’s expansion added more qualifying illnesses to Georgia’s medical cannabis program. For now, cultivation, production and sale of cannabis oil is illegal in Georgia leaving patients with few options on how to obtain their medicine.
