Man suffers serious burns after explosion at marijuana dispensary

The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the explosion Friday night at a dispensary on Eglinton Ave. W.
A man in his 30s is suffering from serious burns after an explosion at a marijuana dispensary in Forest Hill, Toronto Police confirm.
At 7:38 p.m., emergency crews arrived to Tweeder Medicinal, near Eglinton Ave. W. and Braemar Ave. to find a man badly burnt. He was transported to Sunnybrook Hospital in non-life threatening condition.
Jeremy Pompilio, superintendent of Toronto Paramedics told the Star that he believes the explosion occurred when staff were “refining product” in the basement of the dispensary.
“As far as I know it’s a legal dispensary,” he said. However, he also said that it was “unusual” that they would be refining product.
Yellow police tape cordoned off the storefront Friday night, with glass shards and buildling material shattered all over the sidewalk from the pressure of the explosion from the basement.
Four men in hazmats suits from Toronto’s Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosive team, a joint venture between police, fire, and paramedics, entered the building to check if there were any more people in the building.
Police sources told the Star that they found oils in the basement where the explosion took place. No plants were found.
Neighbour Nima Pakjou was walking down Eglinton Ave. W when he heard “a loud explosion” and saw “a puff of smoke” coming from across the street.
He said he rushed over to see if anyone was hurt and saw one man emerging from inside with severe burns to his hands and face. The man appeared confused and couldn’t stop pacing around, Pakjou said.
“[The man’s hands had] skin hanging, blood was dripping. He was in shock,” he said. “He kept saying, ‘I don’t know what happened.'”
Pakjou said that the man bleeding said that there was no one else in the building, but noticed another man exiting the buildling through the back doors after the explosion and told police. Then he flagged down a nearby ambulance to transport the injured man to hospital.
“I’m actually shocked that this happened in my backyard,” neighbour Olga Fowell said.
Fowell said Tweeder was shut down, and had just recently reopened this week advertising with a sign that they were now only selling vaping materials and glassware.
When the dispensary reopened, Fowell and a few other neighbours reached out to Councillor Josh Matlow, as well as police at 53 Division to investigate the store.
“How ironic that this would happen, it’s a shame,” she said. “It’s an example why this has to stop immediately, this is a neighbourhood.”
The Ontario Fire Marshal has also been called in to investigate.