A Minnesota mother heads to court this week, charged with medicating her sick child with marijuana – an act that will be legal in a matter of months.

Angela Brown of Madison faces two gross misdemeanor charges of child endangerment after she gave cannabis oil to her 15-year-old son, Trey, to ease the pain and muscle spasms he suffers as the result of a traumatic brain injury. On Tuesday morning, activists delivered a petition with almost 9,000 signatures to Lac qui Parle County Attorney Rick Stulz, asking him to drop the case.

"Charging a mother with child endangerment because of politics is absurd," said Patrick McClellan of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, who traveled the long snowy miles from his home in Burnsville to deliver the petition. "To charge a mother with child endangerment for trying to help her child is absurd."

McClellan has used marijuana to treat his muscular dystrophy for years. Right now, he's breaking the law – possession of small amounts of cannabis is a misdemeanor offense in Minnesota – but by next summer he and thousands of other patients will be able to enroll in a state-sanctioned medical cannabis program.

Minnesota is the 23rd state to legalize medical marijuana for patients with certain qualifying conditions – including children with seizure disorders. Patients can begin registering for the medical cannabis program in June and can buy the drug from one of the state's eight planned dispensaries starting on July 1.

Stulz's decision to press charges despite the pending legalization made headlines around the country and brought Brown to New York City for an appearance on "The View."

Stulz has not yet responded to calls or emails for comment. Brown will appear in court on Wednesday, where her attorney will appeal for the case to be dismissed.