Two people have been hospitalized with serious burns after an explosion and fire Thursday at a medical marijuana dispensary in central Santa Fe, firefighters said.
Battalion Chief Carl Crook said the blaze apparently resulted from a process in which butane is used to extract THC from cannabis. The incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. at NewMexiCann Natural Medicine off San Mateo Road.
“Somehow they used butane and
there was an explosion,” Crook said. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is
the psychoactive compound responsible for most of the marijuana plant’s
effects. To make marijuana products edible or topical, the chemical has
to be extracted from the plant with heat.
Crook said the two victims
suffered third-degree burns but walked on their own out of the building,
which sustained no structural damage.
“An explosion had occurred,” Fire Marshal Rey Gonzales said. “By the time fire crews arrived, it had been extinguished.”
The victims were taken to
Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to
University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, which has a
specialized burn unit. Third-degree burns are the most serious and
typically involve extensive damage to skin and nerves. The condition can
be fatal.
Witnesses to the incident declined to be interviewed. New Mexico State Police also were at the scene late Thursday.
NewMexiCann Natural Medicine, one
of the 23 state-licensed distributors for medical cannabis, is located
in an industrial area at 1592 San Mateo Place. The company expanded into
the space last year to offer patients an all-in-one community,
including art and recreational opportunities, counseling and a kitchen
for baking medical cannabis into edibles.
Statewide, there are some 14,000
patients who are legally allowed to purchase and consume medical
marijuana. The licenses are granted by the stateDepartment of Health
after certification by a medical doctor as to one of the qualifying
conditions, including hospice care, chronic pain, cancer or
post-traumatic stress disorder.
NewMexiCann owner Len Goodman and
his wife, Susan, were among the first in the state to gain approval to
grow and sell medical marijuana. In an interview last year, he said
NewMexiCann had 1,300 customers regular customers — with some who came
into their dispensary for products and others who relied on courier
delivery.
Since that time, the business has expanded in its location on San Mateo Place and also has opened an outlet in Taos.
The website for the dispensary
advertises a dozen different edible products, including brownies,
cookies, fudge brittle, key lime candy, cherry candy, lollipops, peanut
butter, chocolate and honey.
A New Mexico Gas Co. crew at the
scene Thursday evening said the explosion was not a result of a natural
gas leak, but service to the area was shut down as a precaution.
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SANTA FE , NM
Two men were burned and seriously injured in an
explosion Thursday afternoon at a medical marijuana business just off
San Mateo Road west of Pacheco Street.
NewMexiCann Natural Medicine, one of the state’s licensed
medical pot producers, operates at the location at 1592 San Mateo Lane, a
side street. No one from the company could be reached for comment
Thursday night.
Santa Fe Fire Department Battalion Chief Carl Crook said the
two employees were using butane to extract THC, or
tetrahydrocannabinol, the active component in marijuana, when the
explosion took place about 4:40 p.m. The burned workers were transported
to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and then flown to the
burn center at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, Crook
said.
The explosion took place shortly before the business’ 5 p.m.
closing time. Crook said it was unknown if any customers were around.
The fire department had no details about exactly what
process was taking place when the explosion occurred. But butane and
solvents are used to make an increasingly popular substance from pot
known as hash oil.
Butane is strained through the marijuana or hemp, which extracts the cannibinoids.
The product is complete when the butane is purged through
evaporation, which can involve boiling, leaving a waxy or honey-like
hash of concentrated and potent THC, according to online pot sites. Some
sites warn that the butane hash oil process can be dangerous because of
the fire hazard from butane.
NewMexiCann’s website advertises a hash oil that is extracted with ethanol.
A recent Buzzfeed article said California dispensaries say
butane hash oil now accounts for 40 percent of sales and that home lab
explosions are on the rise.