On Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at approximately 6:00PM, OSP executed a search warrant at a residence just outside of Biggs Junction off the Biggs-Rufus Highway. The warrant was the result of an assault between the resident and a commercial motor vehicle driver near the Pilot truck stop earlier that morning. The resident was observed by witnesses and was identified as 39 year old, Trevor Patrick BEERS. BEERS had been involved in a verbal altercation with the CMV driver, identified as 45 year old Michael BRUNETTE from Salem. During that confrontation, BEERS struck BRUNETTE across the face and left the area. OSP Troopers responded to BEERS residence and while attempting to make contact with him evidence was observed indicating BEERS was involved in the manufacture and extraction of cannabinoids from marijuana into a concentrated form. This process is commonly referred to as a BHO (butane honey oil) laboratory. A search warrant was authorized and executed. BEERS was located inside his residence and taken into custody without incident. He was lodged at NORCOR on the following charges: Unlawful manufacture of marijuana extract, 2 counts of felon in possession of a firearm and harassment, which stemmed from the altercation with BRUNETTE. As punctuated by a recent BHO laboratory explosion at a Portland area residence recently, these make-shift home labs are extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. A BHO extraction lab is a potentially explosive technique that in general, produces cannabis extractions by placing marijuana or marijuana trimmings in some type of holding container and forcing butane through the pressurized container in a manner that doesn’t allow the plant material to escape, yet allows the butane to escape. Butane is heavier than air and sinks to ground level where it can ignite by a stove pilot light or a refrigerator compressor. The butane strips the marijuana of cannabinoids and the end result is pure THC oil commonly turned into a product called “shatter or wax” that commonly has a THC potency 4 to 5 times that of a marijuana plant. Manufacturing BHO at home is always illegal in Oregon. OSP Troopers from The Dalles were assisted by the OSP Drug Enforcement section, the Sherman County District Attorney and the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office.
