South Dakota man arrested after his mother accidentally serves pot brownies at senior centre

A South Dakota man has been arrested and slapped with a felony drug charge after his mother unwittingly served his marijuana brownies to senior citizens at a community centre.

A probable cause affidavit said that Michael James Koranda, 46, was arrested on 5 January after officers at the Bon Homme County Sheriff’s Office began to probe reports of “possible poisonings” at the Tabor Community Centre, reported NBC News.

The probe came after dispatchers received a series of calls about possible poisonings involving senior citizens at a card game in the centre on 4 January.

“An investigation into the incident led me to believe that the patients were all under the influence of THC [the main psychoactive compound in marijuana] from a batch of brownies that were brought to the Community Centre by the suspect’s mother,” said the affidavit.

Mr Koranda’s mother, who was identified by two seniors from the community centre as the one who brought the brownies, told officials that “her son Michael had baked a pan of brownies and she took them to the Community Centre card game,” the affidavit added.

Mr Koranda had recently been to Colorado, where the use of marijuana is legal, and had returned with THC butter.

“Michael admitted to bringing 1 pound of THC butter to make the pan of brownies and then went to bed, and his mother unknowingly took the brownies to the card game where several people ate them,” said the affidavit. “Michael said the remaining half pound of butter was still at his house.”

Officials said that the remaining THC butter as well as the cookies were later handed over to them.

Mr Koranda has been released on an unsecured bond of $3,000 (£ 2,183), reported the Associated Press. He is scheduled to appear in court on 25 January.

A report in NBC affiliate KTIV of Sioux City, Iowa, identified Mr Koranda as a teacher with the Bon Homme School District.