RSSNews of drug crimes in Southern California are far from unusual. An area so close to a major international border is bound to be attractive to those who engage in the drug trade, especially as it relates to common drugs like marijuana. However, police say that there is a new element of the illegal drug trade that involves hash oil rather than marijuana itself.
Hash oil can be extracted from marijuana and can produce a “high” quickly. It sells from between $40 to $80 per gram, and police believe drug cartels may soon be realizing the profit potential of the substance. It’s illegal to extract the oil from marijuana, but it may not be illegal for some to sell the oil as a result of California’s medical marijuana laws.
According to area law enforcement, homemade hash oil extraction labs are now starting to dot the west coast. Frequently, harsh chemicals like butane are used to extract the oil via heat and solvent. Several chemical explosions have already occurred; the Drug Enforcement Administration notes there were about 20 such combustions in SoCal over the past year. Several individuals have been arrested on felony charges as a result.
The DEA has conducted several raids in L.A.’s neighbors to the south, San Diego and Chula Vista, among others. Items seized in the operations include cash and the equipment needed to extract the hash oil. According to one sheriff’s lieutenant, the process of extracting the oil is rather simple and the materials aren’t difficult to acquire.
Police will often use materials found in a residence as evidence that the people within were engaged in illicit drug activity. Large amounts of cash are another indicator, as is the presence of weapons which can result in separate weapons charges.
Some might assume that because the drug involved is marijuana, and not a stronger narcotic like cocaine or heroin, the penalties are relatively light. Possession of marijuana with the intent to sell is a felony, and can involve imprisonment if a conviction follows.
Contact marijuana possession defense attorney Jonathan I. Kelman at 310.286.1218 to learn more about defenses to marijuana-related charges and other drug crime defenses.