In this Monday, April 17, 2017 photo, Georgia State Rep. Allen Peake, R - Macon, displays a bottle of cannabis oil in his office in Macon, Ga. Peake successfully championed the creation and expansion of the medical marijuana program in Georgia, yet there is still no legal way for patients to obtain the low-THC cannabis oil. (David Goldman, Associated Press)

Georgia medical marijuana advocate Rep. Allen Peake won’t run for re-election

ATLANTA — One of the Georgia legislature’s chief advocates for medical marijuana says he will not run for re-election this year.

Republican Rep. Allen Peake of Macon said in a news release Thursday that this is his 12th and final year as a state representative.

Peake helped pass a 2015 bill legalizing the possession of medical cannabis oil for patients with certain serious conditions. Since then, he has helped patients obtain the product, which is hard to acquire because medical marijuana cannot be produced in the state. Gov. Nathan Deal has opposed Peake’s efforts to legalize in-state cultivation.

Peake told The Telegraph of Macon that he will continue to be an advocate for medical marijuana and hopes to focus on helping families of children with special needs