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SAN DIEGO — A lethargic, unresponsive toddler was rushed to the hospital by her frantic mother and doctors were preparing to do a spinal tap when a toxicology test showed that she had unknowingly eaten marijuana candy.

Frances McQueen said she knew her 21-month-old daughter was in real trouble when she saw the normally active and alert child stumbling and could not get her to respond.

“ The way she couldn’t look at me, told me something was terribly wrong,” said McQueen.

It happened last Saturday, April 19. McQueen rushed the little girl the Balboa Naval Hospital. Doctors brought her to the pediatric intensive care unit for testing and found the little girl had THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system.

McQueen said her daughter probably ingested the THC at a beach party that day in Imperial beach. The toddler most likely found a discarded piece of pot candy that was purchased from a medical marijuana shop.

“These are real drugs. They need to be treated like drugs,” McQueen said. “Cookies, brownies, candy — those are party favors. I have never heard of anyone taking their heart medication in their favorite gummy bear flavor.”

Doctors monitored the little girl for 24 hours to make sure she didn’t slip into a coma. She has full recovered from the accidental drug dose.

McQueen decided to go public with her story in the hope that medical marijuana users will realize that they need to treat the drug like they would any other dangerous prescription medicine. She said it should be labeled and kept in child-proof prescription medicine bottles to keep it away from curious children.