Peter Alexander McWilliams (August 5, 1949 – June 14, 2000) was an American self-help author of forty plus books, and an advocate for the legalization of marijuana. He never married and came out as gay in 1998.

In his battle with the US Government about legalizing marijuana for pain relief at time when many gay people were suffering the pains of HIV dying, he was arrested and charged for growing Marijuana in 1997 and release on $250,000 bail on the condition he not use marijuana.

He died suffering the painful effects of of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -by all accounts an excruciatingly painful death that the use of marijuana may have offered some relief. Understandable friends blamed the US Government for his death.

Note: Now days the legalization of marijuana is wide spread in the US, and here in Virginia I could legally grow a few plants in my back yard for personal use. Thank you, Peter McWilliams. You should be a gay icon.