If a child ate cannabis oil, the most common side effects are drowsiness, unsteady movement, vomiting, and confusion. Symptoms often start within 30 minutes to two hours and can last six to twelve hours or longer after a large dose. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away, and call 911 if the child has trouble breathing, cannot be woken, or has a seizure.
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This is general information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or poison specialist who knows your child.
How Long After Eating Cannabis Do Symptoms in a Child Appear?
Why cannabis oil affects children differently
Children weigh less and have a developing nervous system, so a dose that feels mild to an adult can hit a small body much harder. Cannabis oil is also concentrated. THC oil, distillate, and full-spectrum CBD oil can all contain psychoactive cannabinoids, and a small spoonful may hold several times the amount in one adult serving of an edible.
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The type of oil matters. THC oil is the most likely to cause strong symptoms. CBD oils may contain small amounts of THC, and homemade oils can carry leftover solvents or sit in a bottle that looks like medicine.
What Happens If a Kid Accidentally Eats Cannabis?
Common side effects after a child eats cannabis oil
- Sleepiness, lethargy, or a child who is hard to rouse
- Unsteady walking, clumsiness, or trouble sitting up
- Vomiting and nausea
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Dilated pupils
- Agitation, crying, or behavior that cannot be soothed
- Confusion, slurred speech, or a blank stare
- Low body temperature or pale, cool skin
Warning signs that need emergency care
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if you see any of these:
- Slow, shallow, or noisy breathing
- Cannot be woken, or only wakes for a moment
- Seizure or body jerking
- Repeated vomiting that will not stop
- Weakness, a limp body, or blue lips
- Any infant or toddler who may have swallowed a concentrated product
Do not wait for symptoms to appear
A child who seems fine right after eating cannabis oil can still become drowsy an hour later. If you know or suspect the oil was swallowed, get advice now rather than waiting to see what happens.
What to do right away
- Move the oil and any other cannabis products out of reach.
- Check the child's breathing and how alert they are.
- Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 and follow their instructions.
- Keep the package or label so you can tell them the product, its strength, and how much may have been eaten.
- Note the time you found the child so a clinician can gauge how long the effects may last.
What not to do
- Do not make the child throw up unless a medical professional tells you to.
- Do not give food, milk, or juice to try to absorb the oil.
- Do not leave the child alone to sleep it off.
- Do not give coffee, energy drinks, or other stimulants.
- Do not assume CBD oil is harmless because it was sold in a store.
How long the side effects last
Swallowed cannabis takes longer to peak than smoked cannabis. Symptoms tend to build over the first two to four hours and then fade. Most children improve within 6 to 12 hours, though a large dose or a high-potency oil can leave a child sleepy for a day or more. Some children stay irritable or off balance for a short while after the main effects wear off.
Follow-up care
Even if the child recovers without treatment, tell your pediatrician what happened. The doctor can check the child afterward and note the event in the medical record. If you are unsure how the child got the oil, it is also worth reviewing who has access to your home and whether the product traveled in a bag or purse.
Preventing it next time
- Store cannabis oil in a locked box, not a kitchen cabinet or bedside drawer.
- Keep it in the original child-resistant packaging, never in a food or medicine container.
- Pick plain packaging and skip products that look like candy or gummies.
- Track how much is left so you notice a missing amount.
- Ask guests to keep cannabis out of reach and out of bags children can open.
Convenience shapes a lot of cannabis buying today, and delivery and pre-filled oils make these products easier to keep at home. That same ease means storage needs a plan before the oil arrives, especially in a house with young children.