Three hospitalized after honey oil lab explosion
Police confirmed two people took themselves to a hospital Tuesday morning with serious injuries after a honey oil lab explosion.
A blast was reported along the 600 block East Vista Chino Drive at approximately 4:00 a.m. near Via Miraleste. Investigators determined the explosion was caused by a cigarette being lit during the manufacturing of the honey oil lab inside the apartment, PSPD revealed in a news release.
An unidentified 22-year-old woman suffered major injuries from the explosion and is currently in stable condition.
Ryan Martin, 25, of Palm Springs sustained minor injuries. Police say they believe he is the primary suspect in the manufacturing of the honey oil lab.
Jail records show Martin was arrested at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and is being held on $500,000 bail. Martin faces charges of arson and manufacturing a controlled substance.
Police say there was another man down the road who may have been involved, but they had not yet made any final determinations. The unidentified man was transported to the hospital for treatment and is being questioned by investigators.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Special Investigations Bureau and the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force are assisting PSPD with the investigation.
Honey oil is a marijuana concentrate that is a highly potent THC concentrated mass most similar in appearance to either honey or butter, which is why it is referred to or known on the street as “honey oil” or “budder,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
A popular method of making the drug extraction uses butane, a highly flammable solvent, according to the DEA. It is put through an extraction tube filed with marijuana. The butane then evaporates leaving a sticky liquid known as “wax” or “dab.” The DEA says this method is dangerous because butane is a very explosive substance. There have been explosions in houses, apartment buildings and other locations where someone tried the extraction.
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