If a child eats or swallows cannabis, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 in the United States right away, even when the child looks fine. If the child is hard to wake, breathing slowly or unevenly, seizing, or turning blue or gray, call 911 first. Every step after that call depends on five facts: the child's age and weight, the product involved (edible, flower, oil, or concentrate), how much was eaten, how long ago it happened, and what symptoms you can see right now. Those five facts are the criteria that decide whether this is a home-monitoring situation or an emergency department visit.
accidental cannabis ingestion by children
Step 1: Call Poison Control Before Anything Else
Poison Control is staffed around the clock by specialists in toxicology, and a cannabis ingestion in a child is a routine call for them. The specialist compares the child's weight against the amount of THC in the product and tells you whether the child can be watched at home or needs to be seen. Keep the packaging, the label, and any leftover product next to you during the call.
what to do if kids ingest cannabis
- Pros: free, immediate risk assessment, clear guidance on home monitoring versus the emergency department, and follow-up calls to check on the child.
- Cons: you may be asked for label details you do not have, and an unlabeled or homemade product forces the specialist to work from a range of possible doses, which usually pushes the advice toward medical evaluation.
Best fit for this step: every suspected ingestion, including a child who seems completely normal. Symptoms from edibles can take two hours or longer to appear, so a calm child at minute five is not proof of a small exposure.
Step 2: Know When It Becomes a 911 Call
Some signs mean the child needs an ambulance and a monitored airway, not a phone assessment. Call 911 and stay with the child if you see any of these:
what to do if kids ingest cannabis
- Breathing that is slow, shallow, irregular, or noisy
- A child you cannot wake, or who wakes only briefly and drifts off again
- A seizure, or jerking movements in the arms or legs
- Blue or gray lips, face, or fingernails
- Repeated vomiting with a child who cannot hold their head up
- A child under about five years old with a large exposure, or any child who may have taken other substances or medications at the same time
Use this step when breathing or consciousness is in question. Do not drive a drowsy child yourself if you have any doubt about their breathing.
What Not to Do
- Do not make the child vomit. Cannabis edible effects peak late, and vomiting does not reliably remove the drug. It also risks choking in a child who is getting sleepy.
- Do not give food, drink, or milk to a child who is drowsy, confused, or vomiting. Ask Poison Control before offering anything by mouth.
- Do not leave the child alone or leave them sleeping behind a closed door. Stay in the same room and check breathing often.
- Do not wait for symptoms before calling. Onset for edibles is delayed, and early guidance costs nothing.
- Do not assume a small bite equals a small dose. Potency varies widely between products, and a single piece of chocolate or gummy can carry a large amount of THC.
Edibles Versus Smoked or Vaped Cannabis
The route of exposure changes the timeline and the level of concern.
- Edibles: slow onset (often 30 minutes to 2 hours, sometimes longer), longer duration, and effects that can build after the child already looks settled. Higher risk of a delayed crash in alertness.
- Smoke or vapor: fast onset, usually within minutes, with shorter duration. Secondhand smoke in a closed room can affect a small child, though the dose is far lower than eating a product.
- Oils, tinctures, and concentrates: highly variable potency. A small swallow can be a large dose, so treat these as a call-Poison-Control situation every time.
Best fit for extra caution: any edible, any concentrate, and any product with an unknown THC content.
Home Monitoring Versus the Emergency Department
Home monitoring with Poison Control guidance
- Pros: no ambulance bill, no waiting room, child stays in a familiar place, specialist follow-up by phone.
- Cons: requires an awake adult who can watch breathing for many hours, a known product and amount, and a phone that stays answered.
Emergency department evaluation
- Pros: continuous monitoring, oxygen and airway support if needed, IV fluids, testing for other causes of sleepiness or vomiting.
- Cons: cost, wait time, and a child who may be handled and moved while drowsy.
Choose home monitoring only when Poison Control says the exposure is small, the child is awake and breathing normally, and you can watch them without interruption. Choose the emergency department when the child is hard to wake, breathing changes, symptoms keep worsening, or the amount swallowed is unknown.
What to Watch For Over the Next 6 to 24 Hours
Effects from edibles can last 12 hours or more in a young child. Watch for sleepiness that is hard to interrupt, an unsteady or wide-legged walk, slurred speech, confusion, dilated pupils, a fast heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, agitation, or a sudden drop in breathing rate. Check on the child at set intervals through the night rather than trusting a baby monitor.
What to Tell the Clinician or Specialist
- The product name and the THC and CBD amounts per piece or per milliliter, read straight from the label
- How much the child ate and the time you found them
- The child's weight and age
- Any prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal products the child takes
- Any chance of alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs in the home
Prevention After the Event
- Store cannabis and CBD products in a locked box, not a drawer or a purse
- Keep them in the original child-resistant packaging, never in a snack bag or candy dish
- Check labels for THC content, since some CBD products carry small amounts of THC and still require the same storage rules
- Tell every caregiver, including grandparents and babysitters, where the products are kept and that they are off limits
Poison Control guidance always overrides general advice, including anything on this page. When in doubt, make the call.