Story Archive

Warning — Flammable Gasses are, um, Flammable

Hash oil is made by using butane to extract THC from marijuana. Kevin Tveisme, in his late 20s, and Joseph Westom, 35, were doing just that in a garage in Gresham, Ore., when the butane vapors ignited, creating a blast that killed Westom and left Tveisme with burns over 50 percent of his body. Tveisme, who is legally allowed to make hash oil because he has a medical marijuana card, is now suing the importers, the distributors, and the store where he bought the butane. The charge: nobody warned him that the hash-oil extraction process — which he learned on YouTube — is dangerous, and that there should have been warnings on the butane. “I appreciate that they put on there ‘Don’t overfill your lighter,’ but one of those cans is enough to fill up your lighter for five years,” said Tveisme’s lawyer, Jonah Flynn. “It’s a wink and a nod. They know and everybody else knows that this product is used for the manufacture of butane hash oil. It’s not a secret.” He is seeking $11 million in damages. “You have to adequately warn of the hazards and dangers of your product in this country,” Flynn said. (MS/Portland Oregonian) ...Warning: If you’re an obliviot, don’t do anything.