Pubdate: Wed, 09 Apr 2014
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Page: 3
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Pamela Roth

HASH OIL FIRE HAZARD

On the outside, it may look like just a regular marijuana grow
operation.

But investigators with the province's police Green Team are coming
across more grow ops with dangerous hash oil extraction labs, some of
them discovered after deadly fires and explosions.

Dwayne Karpo of the ALERT Green Team North explains that hash oil is
the byproduct of a marijuana plant. The leaves and stems are soaked in
butane gas or isopropyl alcohol to extract the potent
cannabinoid-containing resin.

Since the chemicals used are highly flammable, Karpo said the
extraction process is very dangerous. Several fires and explosions
have already occurred in various parts of the province within the past
year, but none of those have been in Edmonton -- so far.

"We have come across (Edmonton) labs at the early stage so we've been
very fortunate," said Karpo, noting the most isopropyl alcohol
investigators have come across so far is six four-litre jugs -- more
than enough to level a building.

"We don't want to see something happen and it's just matter of time
before something does happen. Some people look at it and say it's just
marijuana, it's just weed, but no there's a lot of dangers there."

In May 2013, an explosion at an Evansburg extraction lab killed one
man and left another seriously injured. The blast was so powerful it
levelled the home.

Two months later, an extraction lab explosion occurred in Calgary's
Royal Oak neighbourhood. The force of the explosion shook the house
and buckled the garage door on the quiet cul-de-sac that had children
playing nearby. Firefighters at the scene thought they found pipe
bombs in the garage, but they turned out to be homemade extraction
filters.

The Green Team typically does between 44 and 56 warrants a year. So
far this year, police have already come across five hash oil
extraction labs in Edmonton, but Karpo said the trend began in the
middle of last year and is now becoming more prevalent.

The reason, he said, is likely due to the proliferation of electronic
cigarettes, which youth are known to use at school since there is no
smoke and almost no odour. It's also a way for growers to use up all
their product and make extra money. Adding fuel to the fire is the
fact the labs are set up in rooms that have no ventilation.

"Now we're seeing it more set up in little closets. No ventilation,
near hot water tanks and furnaces," Karpo said. "It's everywhere. It's
a new common trend."

Edmonton Fire Marshal Tom Karpa said firefighters responding to a call
at a home with a hash oil extraction lab have no idea the dangers they
are walking into.

"It's extremely serious. This is a hazardous process," said Karpa.
"The amounts of flammable and volatiles far exceeds what you can have
in a home."

In addition to the signs of regular marijuana grow operations, like
covered windows and strange visitors coming and going at all hours,
hash oil exaction labs also produce an odour that is "quite
pronounced."  
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