ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is joining an investigation into an explosion and fire at a Santa Fe medical marijuana dispensary that injured two people, police said Friday.
The DEA is looking “into the process” that started the fire, Santa Fe Police Lt. Andrea Dobyns told The Associated Press. DEA agents have seized evidence and are examining the site, Dobyns said.
In addition, Santa Fe police and fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, she said. “So, there are two investigations going on,” Dobyns said.
The explosion and small fire in a production building at NewMexiCann Natural Medicine on Thursday damaged a room and sent two people to the hospital, authorities said. Nicholas Montoya, 29, is listed in critical condition, and Aaron Smith, 28, is listed as stable, Dobyns said.
Dispensary owner Len Goodman did not immediately respond to email and telephone inquiries from the AP seeking comment.
The explosion didn’t cause major building damage at the new dispensary near the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, officials said.
“Our best guess, our speculation, is that they had a leak somehow – the butane was leaking out and found an ignition source,” Battalion Chief Carl Crook said.
Crook said he wasn’t familiar with details of the extraction process, but he said the butane apparently was fed to a device through metal tubing and attachments from a tank. “Somehow, butane is introduced into the cannabis itself to combine with the THC,” he said.
The result of the process is a waxy substance that is put in food products, Crook said.
Assistant Fire Chief Paul Babcock said the investigation into the cause of the explosion was just beginning. The explosion caused a small fire, but it had mostly blown or burned itself out by the time firefighters arrived, Babcock said.
The explosion occurred in a production building, one of several buildings at the dispensary’s complex, along with at least one greenhouse and a retail operation, Crook said.
The blast hit at least one wall and the ceiling of the room where it occurred, he said.
“It’s got some cracks. You can see daylight between the roof and the wall,” Crook said.
