Man calls police on his own marijuana operation

Police officers discovered a 69 plant cannabis grow operation and THC concentration lab when they arrived at the rental home of Benjamin Benavidez in Young Ward on Friday — after Benavidez invited them over.

Benavidez had called the cops to ask them to peacefully escort his brother, Samuel Benavidez, off the property.

Lt. Mike Peterson of the Cache County Sheriff’s Office said deputies smelled cannabis on the Benavidez brothers and gained written consent to search the home. Upon discovering marijuana the deputies secured the location and contacted The Cache-Rich Drug Task Force.

Within 40 minutes task force agents obtained a search warrant and found live cannabis plants, 28 pounds of dried cannabis flowers and a chemically concentrated form of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) known as butane honey oil.

Capt. Curtis Hooley of the Logan Police Department said this was the first concentration and production lab he has ever seen and that the emergence of these types of labs into the valley is concerning for the safety of local residents.

“I’m most concerned that they’re manufacturing the THC out of the marijuana through a process that is really quite explosive,” Hooley said. “They use butane to do that and it’s actually caused quite a few explosions if you look at Colorado.”

Both men were taken into custody but have been released on bail.

Benjamin Benavidez faces felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and production of a controlled substance charges.

Samuel Benavidez faces charges of use or possession of drug paraphernalia.