‘Free weed!’ 29 jars of marijuana found outside California high school, cops say

Someone left 29 mason jars filled with marijuana near an Auburn high school in an apparent attempt to spread some holiday cheer, California police reported.

A hand-lettered sign with the jars read “Merry Christmas! Free weed! Organic + cage-free,” the Auburn Police Department said in a Saturday, Dec. 14, post on Facebook.

The sign and cannabis were left beside a sign promoting Christmas trees for sale to benefit Placer High School, police said.

“The holidays can be stressful. We get it,” police said in the post. “But leaving a box of ‘free’ marijuana on the sidewalk is not how you spread cheer to the neighborhood.”

Someone reported the marijuana to police, who collected it and safely disposed of it.

“Surprises are for stockings, not sidewalks,” police said.

Auburn is about a 35-mile drive northeast from Sacramento.

This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 2:15 PM.