Federal charges filed following hash oil blasts

SEATTLE — Seven people face federal charges following several explosions in the Puget Sound area due to hash oil. U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan announced the charges Tuesday. Durkan said the explosions in Bellevue, Kirkland, Puyallup and Seattle resulted in multiple injuries to innocent bystanders. One of the injured later died due to complications after hospitalization, authorities said. Durkan said the manufacturing of hash oil remains illegal under state law, even after Washington voters in 2012 approved a measure legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. The charges include endangering human life while manufacturing controlled substances, maintaining a drug involved premises and manufacturing hash oil and marijuana. Endangering human life while manufacturing controlled substances is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, while maintaining drug-involved premises can bring up to 20 years and manufacturing hash oil can be punishable by up to five years.