Schneiderman
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a consent order and judgment on Tuesday against the Syracuse-based Twisted Headz and its owner that permanently removes synthetic drugs from the store's shelves.
Twisted Headz LLC and Gary Schiffer, the company's former owner, must pay $27,000 in penalties and costs. The company allegedly sold items such as Permagrin and White Rhino, which were labeled as potpourri. The labels said that the products were not meant for human consumption. Despite this, a store clerk allegedly recommended a type of pipe to achieve the best effect from the substances.
Undercover agents from Schneiderman's office also allegedly purchased kratom, Fly Agaric Mushrooms and a nitrous oxide charger, cracker and balloon.
"The proliferation of synthetic drugs has become a crisis in Onondaga County, New York state and across the country," Schneiderman said.
"The judge's order proves that, by taking a creative approach in using the state's existing labeling laws, we can get swift results to remove dangerous designer drugs off store shelves and hold sellers accountable for breaking the law. We will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to combat the growing and dangerous synthetic drug epidemic."
Onondaga County Supreme Court Judge Anthony J. Paris signed the order and judgment that permanently bans the sale of any unapproved, misbranded or mislabeled intoxicants or drugs at the store.
Schneiderman's office recently conducted an undercover operation into head shops throughout the state. The agents allegedly found designer drugs for sale at shops, including bath salts and synthetic marijuana. The agents also allegedly found that head shop employees were promoting the drugs and giving consumers advice on how to prepare and ingest them.
Under the New York state labeling law, consumer commodity packaging must contain the place and name of business of the distributor, packer or manufacturer, in addition to the common product name, net quantity of servings, net quantity of contents, uses or applications of the product, and appropriate directions and warnings for customary use.
Federal and state authorities have attempted to outlaw particular chemicals and their analogs to stop the drugs from being sold, but the efforts continue to fall short as chemists and producers change the formulas to stay a step ahead of the laws.