Officers arrested two men after an anonymous tip on Monday led police to a suspected drug lab in Pasadena.[1] The men were Jeffrey Raber, 39, of Whittier, and Mark Piesner, 43, of Calabasas, arrested on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance.[1] Each man posted $75,000 bail and was released late Monday.[2] Raber told police he had permission to produce botanical medicine.[2] The owners told police they were operating lawfully.[3]
Police received a call at about 2:30 p.m. Monday about a strong marijuana smell and people smoking marijuana in front of a business.[2] Police served search warrants at two adjacent businesses in the 2500 block of Nina Street.[2] Officers went to The Werc Shop, which police said operates at two locations on Nina Street, and served a search warrant at about 10 p.m.[1] Raber was linked to The Werc Shop, described as testing botanical products through cannabinoid profiling to help medical marijuana patients get an accurate dosage.[3]
Police said they seized about 500 pounds (about 227 kg) of marijuana and about 200 pint-sized Mason jars or bottles of hash oil from the lab.[3] Police said they found a manufacturing factory for hash oil or honey oil at the business.[1] Agents placed a yellow sign on the building warning that a clandestine drug laboratory had been seized there.[3] The Pasadena Fire Department responded because of the extraction danger but ordered no evacuations.[3]
Police initially detained 28 people but later released 26 workers, leaving only the two arrested men in custody.[1] Police said the two men had a court date in June.[1] Police said they did not know how long the business had operated on Nina Street.[1]
