North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenejhem issued a "cease and desist" order to two Minot head shops, called Hemp Horizonz, and to their owner, Joseph Skorick, Thursday.
The order is to prevent the shop from selling synthetic street drug alternatives deemed to include banned chemical compounds.
This is the second such order in two days against North Dakota head shops. The previous order was issued Wednesday to Big Willie's ATP, LLC. in Mandan and its owners and operators.
Article Photos
Flint McColgan/MDN
Two Hemp Horizonz in Minot, along with their owner Joseph L. Skorick, have been issued “cease and desist” orders from the Attorney General’s office. The downtown location is pictured.
As was the case with Big Willie's, the Attorney General "has a reasonable basis to believe" that Hemp Horizonz has broken the Consumer Fraud Law and the North Dakota Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, or Title 51, Chapter 15, and Title 19, Chapter 2.1, respectively, of the North Dakota Century Code, according to the text of the order.
A press release from the N. D. Attorney General's Office revealed that undercover investigators were sold products that employees had said "tasted good," despite being clearly labeled "not for human consumption." Express knowledge that the products were fully intended for an activity different from their labeling would constitute consumer fraud.
The two shops are located at 23 Main St. S. and 1933 S. Broadway.
Skorick, the owner of Hemp Horizonz, declined to comment on the issue.