Jail for Baker After Seniors Accidentally Eat His Pot Brownies

A South Dakota man is going to jail after seniors accidentally ate his pot brownies. 

Michael Koranda, age 46, of Bon Homme County, attempted to make himself brownies using butter laced with THC.  Koranda had purchased the butter in Colorado, where cannabis is legal, and brought it to his home in South Dakota, where cannabis is currently still illegal, even for medical purposes.

In an unfortunate error, Koranda’s mother served the pot-laced brownies to seniors at a community center card game.  Shortly after, the Police began receiving several calls about a possible poisoning, and upon investigating, it was determined that the Seniors were unknowingly under the influence of THC, which was from Koranda’s brownies. He was arrested and charged.

Koranda had no intention of any of this happening and apologized to the court. Judge Cheryle Gering acknowledged that Kornada did not intend for the brownies to be served to the seniors. She also noted his lack of any criminal record and said to Koranda that as a local music teacher, “You have a lot of good things to offer the community where you live.”

However, Judge Gering went on to verbally admonished him, saying that if he was using drugs to deal with personal struggles, that turning to marijuana was not a solution. She said she was ‘disturbed’ that he had transported the butter across state lines. She said he had let down his students, and that as a teacher he should be held to a higher moral standard.  The judge further said she would be reporting him to the State Department of Education which would impact his eligibility for employment, and that this could follow him across state lines. As a final jab, she said that his actions were more in line with a person half his age.

But despite all this, the Judge still punished him with two months in jail, two years on probation, paying thousands of dollars in fines, court costs, and restitution, and he is also being required to write an apology letter to the seniors. Kornada has also had to resign from his job with the local school district where he worked as a vocal music teacher.

​And again, this was all over some butter, made from a plant, that truly should be legal. 

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