Chico police seized evidence from a butane honey oil lab bust Feb. 5.
Following a tip, Handler Brandon Joseph and K-9 unit “Pax” obtained a search warrant for a building in Chico on Feb. 5 and found an estimated $500,000 worth of highly concentrated butane honey oil.
An investigation is ongoing, and Butte County Special Enforcement has taken over the case. Suspects and locations have yet to be disclosed to the public.
“(Honey oil labs) are a real danger," Watch Commander Billy Aldridge said. "Not just to the public, but to the people working the labs. They sometimes explode, and it has to do with how the THC is processed. There are a few cases of honey oil labs exploding a year and a few more cases of labs that are discovered but don’t explode.”
Butane honey oil is still considered illegal even with the legalization of cannabis. Producers want to avoid taxation and the permit process to make as much money as possible.
“It’s always alarming when things are not gotten legally,” Aldridge said. “It’s coming from somewhere, and we have to stop it before someone gets injured. That is our top priority.”
Chico police are withholding information about the case because they're trying to connect this lab to others in the county.
“I can’t tell you much right now,” Aldridge said. “But be on the lookout, on the news, in the next few days for another bust.”
The department said it currently has no timetable for the end of the investigation.
-- Ricardo Tovar
Photo Courtesy Chico Police Department