Airdrie RCMP have charged three people with drug-related offences in connection with a garage explosion in the community north of Calgary in early September.
The explosion happened on Sept. 6 on 1 Avenue N.E. in Airdrie, and sent two men — who police said were inside the garage at the time — to hospital with serious injuries.
Within a day of the explosion, RCMP conducted a search of the damaged garage where police said 45 pounds of marijuana were seized. RCMP said the drugs have a street value of more than $300,000.
Officers also seized more than 300 new and empty butane cans, along with equipment police said is used to extract hash oil from marijuana. Butane hash oil, or honey oil, is a thick waxy substance that can be smoked or vaped, RCMP said in a media release Thursday.
Butane hash oil can also be further refined by heat and negative pressure to create shatter, an extremely potent type of cannabis concentrate, police explained.
On Thursday, RCMP announced charges against three men in their 20s.
Twenty-two-year-old Nicholas Desourdy, of Calgary, 24-year-old Taylor Edwards, of Airdrie, and 24-year-old Jordan Filipovic, of Airdrie, have each been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, production of cannabis and possession of cannabis resin.
All three men are scheduled to appear in court in Airdrie on Oct. 25.