Man Hospitalized After Attempt To Make Butane Hash Oil Causes Explosion
BRANDON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) -- A Oakland County man was hospitalized after he attempted to make butane hash oil in his home, which caused an explosion.
On March 9, authorities responded to a mobile home on Red Bud Lane in Brandon Township for an active fire. Emergency responders were able to extinguish the fire and stop it from spreading.
A Hazmat crew was called to determine the origins and cause of the fire. Evidence at the scene showed that the fire was caused due to an accident using butane to extract tetrahydrocannabinol -- or THC -- from marijuana.
The process is becoming more common in order to turn plant-based marijuana into other concentrated forms of marijuana, often referred to as "wax," "shatter," "butter" and "dabs."
The man involved with the explosion is a 20-year-old Brandon Township resident. He was taken to the University of Michigan Burn Center and was released three days after being admitted.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard warned of the dangers of using butane for the purposes of making hash oil.
"Butane hash oil explosions have increased dramatically across the United States as the public obtains more access to larger quantities of marijuana," Bouchard said. "Many do not realize that the process may appear simple, but is actually very sophisticated as well as dangerous and may result in a flash fire that can blow out doors, window, burn your house down and cause severe injury."
The incident is still under investigation and charges are pending.