Man claims he was drugged by McDonald's beverage

A South Carolina man, who believed he was ordering a normal beverage at McDonald's, says the drink left him "high as a kite."

Parrish Brown, 24, was in the drive-thru at a McDonald's on Hilton Head Island, SC., when he asked for a sweet tea with "extra lemon," the Island Packet reported.

Brown told the newspaper that his request — which seemed totally normal at the time — caused the employee taking his order to pause before reconfirming with the question, "Extra lemon?" The 24-year-old said he now believes that the phrase was a euphemism, as police later found multiple bags of marijuana inside his drink cup.

Before he called 911, Brown had no idea what was happening. He told the Island Packet that he's never smoked marijuana before, so the feeling was completely foreign.

"I have never had weed a day in my life, so immediately after I started drinking it," Brown said. "I started to feel weird and it didn’t taste like something I recognized."

The 24-year-old was unsure of what he was tasting or feeling, so he just kept drinking the tea. He said he on his way to a late-night shift at work and knew he needed the caffeine. But by the time he made it to his job, he said he was "high as a kite."

"I was high and panicking and at work, so I called my dad," Brown told the Island Packet. "I didn’t want to get in trouble for this."

Brown called 911 shortly afterward, and had a difficult call with an operator who he said originally did not believe his story.

"I kept being like 'I swear, there is weed in my sweet tea!'" he said. "The officer asked me why I drank it and I was like, 'Well, I was thirsty!'"

Officers eventually came and examined the drink, finding three bags of marijuana inside. Brown said he believes he punctured the bags open with his straw, causing the drug to mix in with his tea. He added that the rest of his meal — which included chicken nuggets and a cheeseburger — tasted completely normal.

Police have said they are still investigating the incident, and have yet to confirm the exact McDonald's location.