JACKSON COUNTY, MI – A man was taken to the hospital early Friday morning after the butane gas he was using to try to extract THC from marijuana blew up in his face and started a fire in his motel room.
Fire crews were called at 12:13 a.m. Jan. 24 to Americas Best Motel, 830 Royal Drive, in Blackman Township for a report of a fire in a motel room bathroom, Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety Department Director Scott Grajewski said.
The small fire was found in the bathroom still burning and quickly extinguished, Grajewski said.
Officers found a man, 38, suffering severe burns to his face and hands and he was taken to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital for emergency medical treatment. His current condition is unknown, Grajewski said.
The investigation showed the man was extracting THC from marijuana using butane when the gases ignited, causing an explosion and the small fire, Grajewski said.
THC extraction is the process of dissolving cannabinoids and terpenes from the marijuana plant to obtain a concentrate in which the most significant component is THC, the compound that produces marijuana’s psychoactive effects.
Two other occupants staying in the motel room were not harmed in the explosion, Grajewski said.
An employee working the front desk of the motel said no occupants were displaced in the fire and the motel remains open.
The incident is under investigation. A report will be sent to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review and possible charges once completed, Grajewski said.
The Jackson Fire Department, Summit Township Fire Department and Jackson Community Ambulance assisted at the scene.
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The 38-year-old man was hospitalized in Jackson with severe burns to his face and hands . Read More
