Attorney General Issues Synthetic Drug Cease and Desist Order | Video

Retha Colclasure | 11/14/2012

We`ve been reporting frequently about synthetic drugs, often marketed as bath salts, which prosecutors say are intended to be used as a legal alternative to street drugs. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has been weighing his options to crack down on the sale and distribution of these fake drugs. The action he took today just may stop it in its tracks, at least for a while.

Just three weeks ago we showed you this video of cars lining the street in front of Big Willies in Mandan. Today, a different car sits outside and those pulling up to the shop are quickly leaving.

"I am issuing a cease and desist order against Big Willies and all of the employees of Big Willies, prohibiting them from the sales of any product that they`re selling that is an illegal or legal alternative to street drugs," Stenehjem said.

He`s issuing that letter saying the company is in violation of state consumer fraud laws. That`s because the packaging doesn`t have a list of ingredients as required by law for products meant for human consumption. Even though the package is labeled not for human consumption, Stenehjem says everybody knows what they`re meant for, and no one uses them for their purported purpose.

"The fact of the matter is they are sold for human consumption. It is well known by everybody who is buying them that they are for human consumption and that is exactly how they are being used," he said.

He says it`s a health issue, citing anecdotes from emergency room doctors who have had to treat patients under the influence of these drugs without knowing exactly what they`d taken.

"People become paranoid. They start to hallucinate and so that will make people do things they otherwise would not have," said Sanford Emergency Physician Dr. Matthew Zimny.

"I simply cannot permit these individuals, for no reason other than profit are willing to harm our citizens, potentially kill them and then thumb their nose under the pretense of putting a simple misleading and false statement on the back not for human consumption," Stenehjem said.

This order is just the first step in cracking down on fake drugs. He plans to pursue emergency legislation during the upcoming session to make all synthetic drugs illegal.

Stenehjem is also meeting tomorrow afternoon with the state board of pharmacy to propose emergency rules adding more synthetic street drugs, and any variation of them, to a list of controlled narcotics. He says if he finds out about any other head shops still selling synthetic drugs, he`ll issue a cease and desist letter to them as well.

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