Deputies seize ‘hundreds of pounds’ of marijuana, guns, cash in Lane County drug bust, officials say

Sheriff’s deputies seized a massive amount of drugs, more than a dozen guns and tens of thousands in cash after they raided a large-scale production facility in Lane County on Thursday, officials said.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a stolen vehicle on a property in the 27000 block of Lawrence Road outside of the town of Elmira, which is about 15 miles west of Eugene.

While deputies were investigating the vehicle, they came upon a large butane marijuana hash oil extraction lab, officials said. These types of labs, which are illegal in Oregon unless the operator has a license, can be dangerous because of the potential for explosions associated with butane.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the rest of the property and another address in nearby Veneta. They discovered a home that was being used entirely for the cultivation of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, an illegal drug known for its hallucinogenic properties.

Between the two properties, deputies seized 16 firearms, one of which was stolen; a “large amount of cash, packaged in $10,000 bundles; more than 450 bags of psilocybin mushrooms; more than 20 pounds of finished hash oil extract; “hundreds” of pounds of dried marijuana; and a stolen truck.

“Several people were contacted on the property and identified,” the sheriff’s office said, but no arrests were made and officials said no other information about the investigation would be released Saturday morning.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to questions later Saturday.

— Kale Williams; [email protected]; 503-294-4048; @sfkale