MAN CARRIES SCARS OF DRUG LAB

It started as a three-plant-a-year habit. Mark, not his real name, and
his buddy would grow the marijuana in their basement for personal use.

No big deal, he thought.

Then, nine months ago, the pair decided to cook the marijuana resin
into weed oil -- a highly explosive process if not performed properly.

It took seconds for the flash of vapours to engulf Mark's face, hands,
arms and chest, leaving him severely scarred with second- and
third-degree burns to 80 per cent of his body.

Fourteen surgeries later, and with dozens more remaining, Mark is a
living example of how homegrown marijuana operations, including the
extraction of weed oil, can lead to a fiery end.

Police statistics show the likelihood of a fire in a marijuana grow
operation is 40 times as high as one in an ordinary home.

There were at least nine marijuana grow operation-related fires in
Calgary last year -- Mark's being one of them.

Mark was in junior high the first time he smoked up. All the kids were
doing it, he said.

Now 30, his drug habit could be considered recreational.

"I'd stay on the ball at work. Then come home and have a beer and a
doobie, maybe a few joints on the weekends," he said.

Maybe five years ago, Mark and his roommate decided they were paying
too much for the habit -- growing it at home would be so much better,
and cheaper.

Then came the idea to produce weed oil.

It was a detailed process, but the result had a long shelf life and
could easily be stored in a small vial.

"It's just another form (of weed). The oil is small, you can put it in
your pocket. It also lasts for a long time," he said.

Mark had cooked his crop down to oil on several occasions, so the
batch on June 15 should have been the same.

Along with two friends, Mark used a high-pressure cooker with copper
line for ventilation to cook the alcohol drenched leaves.

"I got lucky a few times so I was getting more comfortable (with the
process)," he said. "You don't think it's going to happen to you, but
this time it did."

As Mark approached the kitchen stove and went to move the cooker, his
body was ignited.

Frantically trying to get out of the house, Mark was eventually found
by emergency crews on the back lawn.

His friends had doused him with water from the garden hose and dragged
him out of the house.

"After that, I don't remember much of it," he said.

For three weeks, Mark fought for his life in the intensive care unit
at Calgary's Foothills Hospital.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, he dreamed about being on a
cruise, in an airplane and working at McDonald's.

"I had thoughts of, "This is it -- I've sold the farm,' " said Mark.
"I thought I'd died."

Many onlookers couldn't understand how he hadn't.

"Obviously, in this case . . . this fellow should have died," said
Calgary police Det. Sid Procee of the joint-forces arson unit. "It's
incredible that he lived."

Procee said Mark's injuries were the worst grow op fire-related scars
he'd ever seen. But it was the young man's attitude that impressed
Procee the most.

"He took responsibility for everything he did," said
Procee.

Mark was not charged with possessing the illegal substance. He's been
punished enough, said police.

"His lifelong sentence is being severally injured," said
Procee.

Released from hospital in November, Mark spends five days a week at in
physical rehabilitation.

He's forced to rely on the Handi-bus for transportation and has
limited mobility.

Despite the injuries, Mark said there's always a chance he'll smoke
pot again, he may even cook weed oil in the future.

"(The fire) really was just an accident," he said. "I can only blame
myself. I can't say it was the plant that made me do it."