11th Street Grow House A Fiesta Of Bad Wiring, Butane, Hash and Pot – March 2, 2012
The APD evidence trailer was loaded with a harvest of contraband from the 11th Street house. KLH | Eye
Kevin L. Hoover
Eye Editor
GREENVIEW – When the big Arcata Police evidence trailer rolls up on your house at 7 a.m., more often as not it leaves later all loaded with leaves. And stems. And bags of buds, hash, lights, ballasts, tubing, records and other contraband.
Many of the above were – literally – in evidence yesterday morning when APD rolled away from 2001 11th St., a Greenview-neighborhood house that public records list as being owned by Jesse Henning of the same address. Henning could not be reached for comment.
Trent Thomas Starkey
According to an APD press release, officers located a marijuana growing operation in the house consisting of more than 250 growing marijuana plants. Over one pound of concentrated cannabis, or “hash” was located in the home along with one pound of processed marijuana.
Highly flammable canisters of butane and other items associated with the production of hash were also found in the home.
• 11366.5 H&S – Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance
City of Arcata building inspectors discovered numerous building code violations at the residence which necessitated the immediate disconnection of electrical service.
The flinky homebrew wiring wasn’t the only peril the house posed to the neighborhood, according to APD Det. Lt. Todd Dokweiler. “They were making hash using butane,” he said. That method has become unpopular due to the not-infrequent explosions that sometimes occur when the butane is applied indoors. “Typically, it’s cold extraction at this point,” Dokweiler said, referring to the “bubble hash” method that has become popular.
Oddly, among the evidence was a propane container. Dokwweiler said propane isn’t usually utilized for THC extraction because “it make your honey oil taste like farts.”
A tube used for forced extraction of THC for hash or “honey oil.” KLH | Eye
As is often the case, the enforcement was prompted by complaints from neighbors, said Dokweiler, had to do with the sunshine, which draws people out of their homes for leisurely walks around their neighborhoods. “Good weather generates tips,” he said. “When it’s sunny, we get a lot of calls. Wet, not so much.”
Dokweiler predicted that more raids are on the way. “There’s plenty more where that came from,” he said. “We still have a laundry list. With the weather getting better, I’m sure ‘business’ will pick up.”
