DENVER - The Denver District Attorney's Office has dropped charges against a man allegedly involved in a hash oil explosion.
Paul Mannaioni was facing felony charges for manufacturing marijuana concentrate and fourth-degree arson after a hash oil explosion in April sent him and two other people to the hospital.
A spokeswoman for the Denver DA's office said prosecutors couldn't tie Mannaioni to the explosion beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is significant, because it highlights a legal gap created by amendment 64. Some believe producing hash oil without a license is legal under the 2012 amendment.
Yet dozens of people throughout Colorado have faced felony charges for manufacturing hash oil. Mannaioni's lawyer tried to get the case dismissed under 64.
That prompted the attorney general's office to weigh in. In the filing, former Attorney General John Suthers wrote hash oil is not included in Amendment 64.
The judge presiding over Mannaioni's case decided both the defense and the AG's office were wrong, making the issue even more confusing.
Friday Mannaioni said the dismissal was a huge relief.
"I feel a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I'm not going to have people staring at me everywhere I go," Mannaioni said. "It's the same thing as brownies, growing. It's just, to me, it's very lax. It's a part of life. It's not that special."
In December, 9NEWS legal analyst Scott Robinson said the debate over the legality of hash oil will likely continue until the Colorado Supreme Court makes a decision.
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