“Party’s over” rang out over the Sheriff’s helicopter speaker Saturday evening, to disperse the dozens of high schoolers lining a narrow Sand Canyon neighborhood street.

The partygoers did not know it at the time, but the abandoned multi-million dollar Canyon Country property was the site of a cannabis concentration lab.

The Bust

Just after 6:30 p.m. Saturday, deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station initially responded to the 28000 block of Oak Spring Canyon Road in Canyon Country after receiving reports that a large party was going to take place at the site.

The home, which went into default in May, sits on 28 acres back in Sand Canyon, perched upon a hill providing privacy for the operation.

“The deputies first responded there because they received calls that there was going to be a large party there,” said Lt. Robert Hahnlein at the time of the bust. “When they got there, they discovered the building was vacant.”

https://www.facebook.com/ADaveJournalist/videos/1692418367569542/

While breaking up the party, deputies found evidence of a cannabis growing and concentration manufacturing operation, according to Sheriff’s officials.

The Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT) was contacted to take the lead in the investigation, according to Lt. Eric Bixler with the LAPD.

The task force is a compilation of numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County whose primary focus is to investigate major crimes, with an emphasis on dismantling mid- to major-level drug trafficking organizations, according to the Department of Justice.

“The Sheriff’s got a call out here of a party, it was about 150 kids at an abandoned house,” Bixler said. “One they started clearing the house they found a BHO lab.”

Concentration Operation

Butane honey oil (BHO), also known as wax, is a concentrated form of cannabis commonly used in vape pens.

The concentrate is “blasted” with solvents, including butane or carbon dioxide, which can be potentially hazardous if not used properly, according to officials.

“BHO is a way to convert unusable marijuana to a marijuana oil,” Bixler said. “This is a butane honey oil lab. We are part of the LA IMPACT lab squad, which has experience with this.”

The Los Angeles County Fire Department was later called to the scene to properly dispose of the explosive materials used in the manufacturing process.

“These are volatile chemicals,” Bixler said. “There are many houses that blow up because of this, as you might have seen on the news.”

The Arrests

Three people from the Antelope Valley were arrested in connection with the cannabis concentrate lab.

Although Proposition 64 legalized cannabis in California, there are many health and safety regulations needed to be followed to grow and manufacture marijuana products.

See More: Three Detained After Deputies Discover Marijuana Concentrate Lab

Every person who manufactures cannabis products shall obtain and maintain a valid manufacturer license from the Department of Cannabis Control for each separate premises at which cannabis products will be manufactured, according to the text of the law.

The Oaks Spring Canyon operation had no such permits, according to Sheriff’s officials.

Joel Bush, 23, of Palmdale; Maurice Bulliox, 22, of Lancaster; and Calista Brooks, 18, of Palmdale were arrested for manufacturing a controlled substance, a felony, according to booking logs.

All of the suspects were each held on $125,000 bail at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.