Peter McWilliams: Difference between revisions

|birth-place = Detroit, Michigan

|death-place = Los Angeles, California

|education = Eastern Michigan University, Maharishi International University

|occupation = Author, poet, self-publisher, photographer, activist

|party = [[Libertarian Party]]

'''Peter McWilliams''' (August 5, {{Event|year=1949|event=Birth|notes=author and activist}} - June 14, {{Event|year=2000|event=Death|notes=author and activist}}), was a world renown author of many books, a libertarian activist, and an advocate of full legalization of marijuana.  He spoke at the [[1998 Libertarian Party convention]] calling for Libertarians to work for medicinal marijuana "for our children."

In 1996, McWilliams was diagnosed with both cancer and AIDS. Subsequently, he was required to take a lot of pills—14 different medications; however, like many cancer patients, Peter was unable to keep his pills down due to intense nausea. This made the pills useless. His 15th drug, an antinausea medication, was not working. So, instead, he began taking marijuana. Like many other cancer patients, smoking marijuana relieved the intense nausea and also soothed the constant pain he was in. This allowed him to keep his pills down and thus stay alive.

Once Peter discovered that marijuana was the most "benign medical substance known to human beings," he decided to dedicate his life to the struggle to legalize medicinal marijuana throughout the country.

The United States federal government made it a crime to smoke marijuana, even for medical purposes. In 1998, McWilliams was arrested for violating the Federal marijuana law. The judge prohibited him from pointing-out that medical marijuana is legal in California, which was his only defense. In 2000, he lost the case. No longer allowed to use marijuana, his pain and nausea returned, and he once again couldn't keep his medicine down. He died on Wednesday, June 14, 2000, allegedly choking on his own vomit.