Woman arrested in drug-linked blast in Puna

Hawaii County police arrested a 28-year-old Puna woman Monday afternoon in connection with a recent drug-related explosion at a butane honey oil lab on Hawaii island, police said.

Police who responded to the explosion at a house Saturday night recovered 102 marijuana plants from an indoor growing operation, more than an ounce of butane honey oil — a marijuana byproduct — and three electronic cigarettes as well as other components associated with the manufacture of butane honey oil.

The woman, who lives in the house but was not home at the time of the incident, was arrested on suspicion of first- and second-degree promotion of marijuana, first-degree promotion of a harmful drug, promotion of a detrimental drug and four other crimes related to possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

The powerful blast at the lab in the house blew off cabinet doors, melted metal pipes and seriously injured a 30-year-old man. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center with third-degree burns and was later moved to Oahu for treatment.

During the extraction process, canned butane is dispensed into a container of marijuana. The butane acts as a solvent, stripping the plant of its potent oils. The resulting liquid is placed in a water bath, yielding a concentrated product with a honeylike consistency. The oil derivative can contain up to 100 percent THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, police said.