Cancer patient Briana Bilbray joined San Diego pot dispensaries on Monday in filing an injunction to end the federal crackdown on medical marijuana.
Bilbray, 25, is the daughter of U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), who represents the northern coastal region of San Diego County. Her brother, Brian Patrick Bilbray, is a local councilman.
The injunction, which seeks to protect patients and shop owners operating in compliance with state laws, comes exactly one month after federal prosecutors vowed to target medical marijuana dispensary owners in California, shuttering state-licensed businesses and threatening landlords with property seizures for violating federal drug laws.
Briana Bilbray, who suffers from Stage 3 melanoma and uses marijuana to reduce nausea and pain, says her family has reservations about her involvement with the injunction.
"They believe me that it works," she told Patch's Khari Johnson of marijuana's medicinal benefits, "but there's such a negative image in everyone's head in general about marijuana. They still have that, but they support me in what I want to do."
Rep. Brian Bilbray's office elaborated in a statement on Monday.
"Karen and I raised our children to be strong individuals who think for themselves," wrote Bilbray, who formerly served as mayor of Imperial Beach. "I respect my daughter's right to fight for what she believes in based on her personal experiences. We may not agree with our children on every issue, but Karen and I are very proud parents."
Bilbray is filing the injunction along with four medical marijuana cooperatives based in San Diego.
The filing comes a week after Americans for Safe Access, the country's largest medical marijuana advocacy organization, filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming the Department of Justice had overstepped its constitutional authority, and after several members of Congress penned a letter to the Obama administration calling for an end to the federal crackdown.
Most of the nine signatories on the letter to the White House were California Democrats, including Reps. Barbara Lee, Pete Stark, Lynn Woolsey and Sam Farr. Bilbray, a Republican, was not among them.
