It was a good week for state Rep. Allen Peake, the House sponsor of Georgia’s medical marijuana bill. On Wednesday, the chamber voted 158-2 to decriminalize the possession of cannabis oil with no more than 5 percent of the chemical that produces the highs associated with pot. Today, Peake writes about the upcoming challenge for the bill in the Senate, where lawmakers may limit the scope of its coverage. In our second column, a medical expert with the American Cancer Society calls for a hike in the state cigarette tax to increase revenue and reduce addiction and disease.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez