‘Mendo’ popcorn vendor known for quirky antics arrested for allegedly serving cannabis‑laced popcorn to Fort Bragg kids. If true, shouldn’t this operation been shut down by county health long ago?
A man well‑known around Mendocino County for his mobile kettle‑corn business was arrested by Fort Bragg Police on Wednesday on three felony charges following an 8‑month investigation. Michael James Fraser, 55, is accused of lacing his popcorn with THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, and one of the charges includes poisoning a child. Fraser is a familiar figure at local events and Reggae festivals, but it was a sale in Fort Bragg in July 2025 that triggered the lengthy investigation leading to his arrest. How much cannabis was in the popcorn?
It’s hard to imagine that no one suspected Fraser might have been lacing his popcorn with cannabis. While adults may shrug off THC as a mild joke, cannabis exposure in children is a different matter entirely; research has shown it can have harmful effects on developing brains. Investigators have not yet released the ages of the children involved, nor is it clear whether Fraser sold the popcorn exclusively to adults at times or whether minors had broader access.
Fraser’s own website and advertising made it clear his popcorn carried a kind of wink‑wink reputation. Years ago, Frank ran into him outside a convenience store in the Ukiah area and bought a bag of his kettle corn — extraordinary, yes, but also undeniably odd. The whole encounter struck me as interesting enough to pursue as a story at the time, but I never followed the thread. In hindsight, this was a really good untold story. And if he was suspected of this in July 2025, did he go on selling this to kids or was this a one time incident (allegedly?). Why wouldn’t this be a health department matter first, if dangerous food was being sold. If somebody was selling food that would make a person sick, there would (or at least should) be immediate action.
Fraser sold his popcorn at Reggae on the River and other festivals — and, fatefully for him, in Fort Bragg in July 2025. At some point, a child or children reportedly consumed the popcorn, and someone complained, or perhaps the kids became ill; investigators have not yet clarified what triggered the initial report. We’re working to confirm those details and will update this story as soon as we have them.
What I can say is that when I encountered Fraser years ago outside a convenience store in the Ukiah area, the multiple flavors he was selling were available to anyone who walked up. He had four varieties on the table, but it was the kettle corn — the one he was proudest of — that he urged me to try. It was astonishingly good and undeniably strange, the kind of encounter that sticks with you. I even considered pursuing a story about him at the time but never followed the thread.
According to the press release, the investigation culminated in a 7:20 a.m. raid Wednesday at a warehouse in Willits. It’s a solid release from Commander McLaughlin — clear, detailed, and professionally assembled. But it’s a shame that many outlets will simply post it verbatim. There is so much more to this story than the official version. As it stands, Fraser will be condemned as some kind of cartoon villain, thanks to the slap‑and‑run habits of so‑called “news” sites that treat press releases as finished journalism. The arrest and search took place at a warehouse in the 100 Block of South Street. South Street is the little stub of road north of the Willits Safeway. If you came into Willits on SR 20 and went straight at the one block road named South Street. There is. gun shop, a print shop, a big tattoo place and the convenience store on the corner.
Try to imagine this landing in 1978. People would have demanded more — context, character, the why and the how. Now the official viewpoint is too often treated as the whole story. We’d love to hear from readers who remember Fraser, bought his popcorn, or crossed paths with him at festivals. Stories like this deserve a fuller telling. As Always you can reach us at frankhartzell@gmail.com
The Following is a press release by Commander Jonathan McLaughlin
MEDIA RELEASE
Arrest Made related to Poisoning of a Minor
03/19/2026
In July of 2025, The Fort Bragg Police Department received a report that an unidentified adult
male had allegedly furnished popcorn suspected of being laced with Tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) to minors from a mobile popcorn stand within the City of Fort Bragg. THC is a
psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis.
Samples of the product were collected and tested. Laboratory results later confirmed the presence
of THC in the seized evidence.
Through continued investigations, the suspect in this case was identified as Michael James Fraser
55 of Willits CA, who was operating under the business name The Popcorn Connection. The
Mendocino District Attorney’s Office also issued a warrant for Fraser’s arrest for violation of
11361(a) PC, 273(a) PC, and 347(a) PC.
On March 18, 2026, at approximately 0730 hours, officers from the Fort Bragg Police
Department, with assistance from the Willits Police Department, the Mendocino County
Probation, and the California Department of Fire Prevention, served a search and arrest warrant
at a warehouse in the 100 block of South Street in Willits. Fraser was contacted at this location
and taken into custody without incident.
Evidence related to this case was confiscated during the search warrant and Fraser was
subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail for his warrant.
This was a long investigation and other agencies including the California Department of Fire
Prevention, the Mendocino County Social Services, the Department of Cannabis Control and the
Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force contributed to its success.
The investigation remains ongoing and if anyone believes that they were also a victim or have
any information regarding this incident please contact Officer Franco at (707)961-2800 or email
dfranco@fortbraggca.gov.
This information is being released by Commander Jonathan McLaughlin. For media inquiries,
please reach out to him directly at jmclaughlin@fortbraggca.gov.
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