Willits Man Arrested for Selling THC-Laced Popcorn to Kids

Popcorn stock image [Photo By Famartin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 Via Wikicommons]

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.

Authorities said samples of the popcorn 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.