A barn fire in rural Medford on Monday uncovered a suspected Butane Honey Oil (BHO) cannabis concentrate laboratory, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. BHO is an extracted cannabis product similar to hash.
The sheriff’s office said it was assisting the Medford Fire Department on the fire Monday afternoon. Minutes after responding, a JCSO detective spotted and detained two males trying to leave the scene.
After the barn was mostly destroyed, JCSO said a large amount of marijuana and BHO processing equipment could be seen from outside the barn. JCSO said there was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing at the barn.
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A search of the barn uncovered 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana and what was left of a suspected BHO lab, JCSO said.
After interviewing both suspects, Tarlon Smith, 34, of Massachusetts, was charged with felony first-degree arson incident to the manufacture of a cannabinoid extract, felony unlawful manufacture of a marijuana item, and felony unlawful possession, JCSO said. The second suspect was released pending charges.
Most of the solvents used in the creation of BHO vaporize quickly and are flammable, making the extraction process dangerous, JCSO said. Medford Fire was still investigating the cause of the fire.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, “Dabs or dabbing are the names for the use of concentrated butane hash oil (or BHO). It is a relatively new method of administering/ingesting cannabis that involves the inhalation of highly concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active chemical in cannabis.”
