Vancouver police busted a multi-million drug operation in an industrial area of South Vancouver on Friday.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) announced today (July 22) that on July 19 officers, along with the RCMP Clandestine Lab Team and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, used search warrants under the Cannabis Act on two illicit cannabis oil labs located near Oak Street and Marine Drive.
Investigators believe the warehouses were being used as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extraction labs, which are also known as butane honey oil labs, to produce high-potency cannabis oils and concentrates to sell in unlicensed cannabis stores and on black markets.
The VPD stated that several thousands of pounds of drugs were seized, including shake, shatter, oils, balms, and edibles, in addition to lab equipment.
The Cannabis Act prohibits the use of organic solvents, such as butane, in the extraction of oils from cannabis plants.
As organic solvents are extremely volatile, such processes can lead to fires or explosions.
Several charges are expected to be recommended once the investigation, which remains ongoing, is completed.
