An entrepreneurial American girl scout has caused controversy after selling hundreds of cookies by setting up shop outside a marijuana dispensary.

The girl, who has not been named, sold more than 300 boxes in six hours after she began selling outside a cannabis shop in San Diego, her father told US media.

The cookie boxes sell for up to $5 each, meaning her profits could have exceeded $1,500 (£1,090).

However the girl's business success has caused a dilemma for American Girl Scout organisations, with the number of states legalising marijuana sales increasing in recent months.

Nine states and Washington DC, have legalised marijuana for recreational use while medical marijuana is legal in another 29 states.

The tradition of selling cookies goes back nearly a century and young scouts have typically been free to sell their cookies wherever they wish to as long as they are accompanied by their parents.

But some are now questioning whether there should be nationwide policies over where scouts are permitted to sell their baked goods.

“This is kind of a community issue,” said Mike Lopes, a spokesman for the Girl Scouts of the USA.

“For the most part, it’s not any different than selling in front of any other kind of shop. It just happens to be a marijuana dispensary.”