ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt.—A 73-year-old man who was given the first civil marijuana ticket in a Vermont town says he had planted some seeds he found in a box and "got spanked" by police after it grew into a pot plant.

William Reynolds was issued a $200 civil ticket by St. Johnsbury police after authorities seized a potted 2 1/2-foot-tall marijuana plant from his Main Street apartment.

Police say they saw no indication Reynolds was a pot smoker or had other marijuana plants.

Reynolds tells the Caledonian Record ( ) he doesn't smoke marijuana and was "playing around" with the seeds he found.

He says he "did wrong" and won't contest the ticket.

Vermont decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana on July 1.