Medical Marijuana Activist Peter McWilliams Dies
Jun 14, 2000
Here are the details I have been able to gather. It turns out to be a double tragedy. Last Sunday, Peter had a major fire in his house. It burnt up the entire downstairs including his computer and backups. Peter was just weeks away from finishing his book on the ordeal he has gone through. He was quite excited about it and motivated to finish it. I heard the firemen had to rescue Peter through his upstairs bedroom window. The loss of this work threw Peter into shock. He was not able to talk to anyone these past few days. The loss of his book was overwhelming to him. Peter was found in his bathroom choked on his own vomit. Readers may recall his posting a few weeks back where he described in detail the routine he had worked out to quiet his stomach so it would not reject the cocktail of pills he was prescribed for his AIDS. Medical marijuana worked perfectly for this purpose, at the time of his arrest his viral count was down to zero. Federal Judge George King ordered him not to use medical marijuana while he was on federal bond. Because his mother and brother had put up their houses for this bond, Peter felt obliged to follow this order. But it meant he could not keep down his medicine and his viral count. Over a period of time Peter developed a routine of bedrest and other precautions so that he could keep down his medicine. See: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n344/a04.html?159127 His health began to return but he asserted that there was not way that he could follow this routine in jail. He hoped the judge would understand this and sentence him to a period of house arrest. Peter choked to death due to the lack of a proper anti-emetic. Forgive me for my anger, but it feels to me that he died as a direct result of the bullshit he was fighting so hard. California voters passed an initiative so that seriously ill patients like Peter could use medical marijuana. Because the federal government is unwilling to face the reality that marijuana is a medicine, Goliath had to crush innocent patients like Peter. For lack of an proper anti-emetic, Peter died. I hold the feds responsible. I pray that somehow a copy of Peter's unfinished work surfaces so that the world can hear his final message to us. As a movement we need to find some way of honoring Peter and his work. And we need to redouble our efforts to keep our own government from killing more innocent victims. With deep respect and loss, Don Wirtshafter ********************************************************************* NORML Weekly Press Release 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW Ste. 710 Washington, DC 20036 202-483-8751 (p) 202-483-0057 (f) www.norml.org foundation@norml.org June 15, 2000 Medical Marijuana Advocate, Libertarian Author Peter McWilliams Dies Los Angeles, CA: Peter McWilliams, a best selling author who suffered from both AIDS and cancer, passed away in his home in Los Angeles on June 14th. He was 50 years old. McWilliams, who was an out-spoken advocate for the medical use of marijuana, was arrested along with Todd McCormick in 1998 in a high-profile case for cultivating marijuana in a Bel Air, CA, mansion. Both men said the marijuana was intended to supply "buyers' cooperatives" that serve patients in California. At the time of his death, McWilliams was awaiting sentencing on those charges. His story was featured last Friday by John Stossel on the ABC-TV news program 20/20. He is survived by his mother and brother. No details are yet available regarding the funeral. ********************************************************************* From: Ann McCormick Subject: Libertarians mourn passing of Peter McWilliams Date: Thursday, June 15, 2000 9:48 PM Libertarians mourn passing of medical marijuana activist Peter McWilliams LOS ANGELES -- California Libertarians are mourning the passing of Peter McWilliams, the #1 best selling author of "Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do," "How to Survive the Loss of a Love," and "The Personal Computer Book," who died in his Los Angeles home yesterday at the age of 50. McWilliams was an outspoken advocate of medical marijuana. He was diagnosed with AIDS and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in March, 1996 and used medical marijuana to combat the nausea caused by his medical treatments. He joined the Libertarian Party in 1998 following a nationally televised speech at the Libertarian National Convention. "Peter McWilliams was a true hero who fought and ultimately gave his life for what he believed in: the right to heal oneself without government interference," declared Libertarian state chair Mark Hinkle. "His loss opens a gaping hole in the fabric of liberty, but his memory will live on not only in the hearts of grateful Libertarians but also in the lives of the countless patients who will take up the crusade for health freedom." McWilliams was arrested in 1998 and charged with conspiracy to sell marijuana plants that he had been growing to supply cooperatives that serve other medical marijuana patients in California. McWilliams was forced to plead guilty after the federal judge presiding over the case refused to allow any mention of Proposition 215, the landmark 1996 California ballot initiative that legalized medical marijuana. At the time of his death, McWilliams was awaiting sentencing on the marijuana charges. His health was failing after Judge George King ordered McWilliams not to use medical marijuana. According to sources, McWilliams was found in his bathroom choked on his vomit. "The War on Drugs has sadly produced another casualty," said Hinkle. "Had Peter been allowed to take medical marijuana, he could have kept his nausea under control and probably prevented his death. Americans should be outraged that the government allowed Peter to die, and Judge King should be held accountable for his decision -- which amounted to a death sentence for Peter. "On behalf of all Libertarians, we send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Peter's exceptional commitment to liberty and freedom was rare, and he will be sorely missed." ********************************************************************* Peter's websites: http://www.petertrial.com http://www.mcwilliams.com http://www.marijuanamagazine.com http://www.growmedicine.com Be sure to check out and download Peter's books available online. I especially recommend "A Question of Compassion" Though incomplete, it is outstanding. The Libertarian Party National Convention is to be held June 30 to July 3 at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel, 700 West Convention Way, Anaheim, California Please go to http://www.marijuananews.com/ for updates and further information as it becomes available. You can also keep up to date on the case by going to http://www.reneeboje.com - and - http://www.toddmccormick.org/ (Bookmark and keep checking back for the official opening of Todd's site. Renee's site was recently revamped and is now back on line.) Todd's http://www.ahemp.org/ will be updated soon. The message board for John Stossel (20/20) is: http://boards.go.com/cgi/abcnews/request.dll?LIST&room=stossel Thoughts I think Peter would like us to think about: "In the beginning of a change, The Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." -- Mark Twain "Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others. . .they send forth a ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." - Robert F. Kennedy As Peter would end this... ENJOY! take care~