Rhode Island Official Concerned About MJ Grows After Fire

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A five-alarm fire this week at a building that housed the headquarters of a cannabis association in Rhode Island – among other businesses – now has at least one state official worried about the safety of marijuana cultivation operations.

“We’ve had at least two fires related to marijuana grow facilities in the state,” State Fire Marshal John Chartier told a Providence news site. “A grow facility might be installed not quite up to code, which could lead to electric overloads, or be using butane as part of the process.”

Chartier’s concerns could potentially translate into new regulations on the industry if state lawmakers and regulators become worried as well.

This week’s fire is still under investigation, and it’s not clear what caused the blaze. But it happened in an office building that housed both the Cannabis Producers Association of New England and the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition.

The latter organization teaches regular classes on how to grow cannabis, as well as how to produce bubble hash and tinctures.

There’s no word yet on whether butane was being used on Monday, when the fire began. But hash oil explosions in other states have become more common, as enthusiasts try to replicate highly scientific and dangerous processes at home.