‘Mendo’ popcorn vendor of popcorn business with name including 420 arrested for allegedly serving cannabis‑laced popcorn to Fort Bragg kids at a food truck event. 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. Two Fort Bragg kids, ages 12 and 13 told their parents they were feeling strange after consuming popcorn at a Community gathering of food trucks in the parking lot of the Fort Bragg Senior Center- Fort Bragg Middle School. From our research, we have found at least one of the two had a severe reaction to the cannabis.
Fraser is a familiar figure at local events and a Reggae festival, but it was that one sale in Fort Bragg in July 2025 that triggered the lengthy investigation leading to his arrest. How much cannabis was in the popcorn? The police have now told us the amount of cannabis found by the laboratory is not subject to public release at this time.
Another issue was that it was widely reported by other media, not checking the facts as we did- that this was at a “movie night” at the Fort Bragg senior center. Redwood Seniors boss Jill Rexrode said the senior center doesn’t have movie nights. She said it happened during the community food truck gathering in July 2025, which is in the Senior Center/Middle School parking lot, but not inside the Senior Center.
“The fourth Friday food truck event in July is a fundraiser for the senior center and I am not sure how that guy snuck in. But you can rest assured it won’t happen again. Any food vendor that will be at the senior center will be a licensed vendor in the community moving forward,” Rexrode said.
It’s hard to imagine that no one suspected Fraser might have been lacing some of his popcorn with cannabis long before this event.. The site has pictures of all kinds of gourmet popcorns that clearly are NOT involved with cannabis. And oils and other good popcorn stuff that clearly are NOT cannabis involved.
BUT
The business is called The Popcorn Connection.420 in one place and has the slogan “we will hook you up”. 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.
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?nn 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. He has also set up his popcorn stand just south of Fort Bragg among flea market vendors and along the road in Willits. Also, at a pumpkin patch in Redwood Valley.
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 at least from what I saw. I didn’t have kids with me. 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. They were very good and he talked all about where he sourced the cooking ingredients from but didn’t mention or wink-wink cannabis to me. 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.
Commander McLaughlin of the FBPD has answered one of our big questions- did the kids want this or was it done without their knowledge?
“At this time we believe the evidence does show he did knowingly furnish popcorn to the minors containing THC without their knowledge.” The case indicates the popcorn was given, not sold to the two girls as there are no charges for selling which would accompany this if the case involved getting paid for drugs, our investigation shows.
We have heard from other sources that The Popcorn Connection has set up at the small market just south of Hare Creek in Fort Bragg and under the underpass at Highway 101 and Main Street in Willits, where northbound drivers exit to connect to HIghway 20 and Fort Bragg, or Willits shopping and another roadside spot where he set up his stand.
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.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////END/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Was the popcorn given knowingly with THC or not?
