A man accidentally got a group of senior citizens high after he brought a batch of pot brownies to a community center card game where his mother was playing. A probable cause affidavit revealed that several calls were received regarding a “possible poisoning” of several people “at the Tabor Community Center earlier for a card game” in Tabor, South Dakota. As it turns out, they weren’t poisoned at all – just high.
- Michael Koranda was the man responsible. He didn’t actually bring the brownies, his mother Irene Koranda did upon his offering. Turns out, she didn’t realize that they had THC in them. Michale had recently been to Colorado and brought back a bunch of “products with marijuana” and must have been inspired to get in the kitchen.
- The investigation was pretty swift. “An investigation into the incident lead me to believe that the patients were all under the influence of THC from a batch of brownies that were brought to the Community Center by Irene Koranda,” Deputy Sheriff Joel Neuman reported. Irene told officers that Michael had “baked a pan of brownies and she took them to the Community Center card game” and she “willingly gave [the sheriff] the remainder of the brownies in a plastic container.”
- Michael was very forthcoming about the mixup. Michael, an elementary school music teacher, told police that he’d used THC butter in the brownies that he’d brought back from Colorado. After baking them, he “went to bed and his mother unknowingly took the brownies to the card game.” An honest mistake!
- Koranda was arrested and charged. He faces charges of possession of a controlled drug or substance, a felony that could carry up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He’s currently free on $3,000 bond but is due back in court on January 25.
