Willits Man Arrested for Selling THC-Laced Popcorn to Kids
A hot-buttered high turns rancid
Editor’s note: We added more information about the prohibition on selling edibles to minors. March 20, 2026, 8:21 a.m.
A 55-year-old Willits man was arrested Wednesday in connection with an investigation into THC-laced popcorn allegedly distributed to minors from a mobile stand in Fort Bragg, authorities said.
Officers with the Fort Bragg Police Department, assisted by the Willits Police Department and other agencies, arrested Michael James Fraser on March 18 after serving a search and arrest warrant at a warehouse in the 100 block of South Street in Willits.
Fraser was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Mendocino County Jail on a warrant issued by the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office. He faces charges including furnishing cannabis to minors and child endangerment.
The investigation began in July 2025 after police received a report that an unidentified man had provided popcorn suspected of being laced with THC — the psychoactive compound in cannabis — to minors from a mobile popcorn stand operating in Fort Bragg.
THC-laced popcorn is a cannabis edible made by coating popped popcorn with butter or oil infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Unlike smoked cannabis, edibles are processed through the digestive system, which can delay the onset of effects and prolong intoxication.
In California, edibles cannot be sold to minors. Dispensaries are required to verify a customer is of legal age at the door. In 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom announced emergency regulations that banned any detectable about of THC from consumables sold to minors.'
“Our cannabis and tobacco inspectors are out in the field every day so that consumers can know that the items on store shelves are legal in California, properly tested, labeled, and taxed,” Nick Maduros, director of CDTFA, said at the time. “We will continue working with our colleagues at the state and local levels to educate retailers and enforce California law.”
Authorities said samples of popcorn allegedly sold by Fraser were collected and tested, and laboratory results confirmed the presence of THC.
Investigators later identified Fraser as the suspect, alleging he operated under the business name “The Popcorn Connection.”
During the March 18 search, officers seized evidence related to the case, police said.
Link to CC by-SA 2.0 (Popcorn photo license)