(CNN) — Within 45 minutes of setting up outside a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco, California, a 13-year-old Girl Scout had to call for “back-up cookies ” — and she had so much success selling Thin Mints and Tagalongs on Monday that she’ll be back again this weekend.
Holli Bert, community liaison for The Green Cross dispensary, told HLN Friday that the teen’s mom, Carol Lei, contacted the business with the idea.
“We love to be able to support the community, and we love the Girl Scouts, so we thought why not?” Bert said.
HLN reached out to Lei several times but has yet to hear back. Many online commenters seem to be big fans of the cookie location.
“Best idea ever,” said one commenter on The Green Cross Facebook page. “What pothead wouldn’t love to get munchies after buying his trees?”
Another posted: “See a need, fill the need… rule of capitalism.”
Lei, who spoke with CNN content partner Mashable, said she and her daughter sold 117 boxes in two hours outside the clinic on Monday, which was President’s Day. That’s 37 boxes more than they were able to sell the following day during a two-hour period outside of a grocery store, according to Lei.
Lei also told Mashable that this isn’t the first time one of her two middle school-aged daughters has sold cookies outside of a medical marijuana clinic. She said she uses the experience as a teachable moment about drugs.
“I’m not condoning it, I’m not saying go out in the streets and take marijuana,” Lei told Mashable. “It also adds a little bit of cool factor. I can be a cool parent for a little bit.”
Kelly Parisi, the chief communications officer for Girl Scouts USA, said in a statement that the “Girl Scout Cookie Program is girl-run and all the money stays in local councils. Each Council makes all the decisions on how the cookie program is run. As always, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of the girls we serve. Volunteers and parents are empowered to relocate their booths if conditions change and the location is no longer suitable.”
Bert said safety is also a key concern for the clinic and Lei’s daughter was never in any danger.
“We have security personnel out front and our staff are out front,” she said. “We’re a really respected dispensary. We take community service very seriously. We have surveillance cameras, so it’s a really safe environment for the girls. We would never let anything happen.”
Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996. There is a major push to legalize recreational use as well, but backers of the Control, Regulate and Tax Marijuana Act have taken it off the table for 2014, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
The Green Cross said on its Facebook page that Lei and her daughter will return on Saturday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time.
“Half the proceeds will go toward Alzheimer’s-related charitable causes,” the clinic posted. “Cookies, cannabis and charities, what more can you ask for!?”
