Failed Hash-Oil Extraction Caused April Warehouse Explosion
DENVER (CBS4) - The attempted extraction of marijuana hash oil caused last month's explosion at a Denver warehouse, CBS4 has learned.
Two men and a woman were burned in the butane-gas explosion at a "grow-your-own" marijuana facility on South Lipan Street.
No charges have been filed, but Denver police and the city's fire department are investigating.
Gases trapped beneath a canopy ignited, causing the blast, arson investigators told CBS4. The facility rented tables for $350 for pot entrepreneurs to grow their own product and extract the hash oil, a process that uses butane gas.
At the Lipan location, investigators found more than 100 marijuana plants and pot cooking in pressure cooker-type devices. Boxes of butane canisters were also discovered.
Denver and state laws require medical-infused product licenses and permits to process extractions.
The explosion is one of several recent incidents in the metro area since the legalization of recreational pot. It's unclear whether those involved in April's accident obtained permits for hash extraction, which creates a stronger high through concentrated marijuana oil.
