A synthetic drug seller was sentenced on Thursday to 17-and-a-half-years in jail for illegally selling drugs in Minnesota.

James Carlson, a Duluth head shop owner, was convicted in October 2014 on multiple counts of selling banned drugs.

The shop, called the Last Place on Earth, was closed by authorities in 2013 after its owner disregarded several warnings to stop selling synthetic drugs.

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Carlson, 57, admitted to selling the drugs and said it wasn't banned or illegal.

In an interview outside the courthouse, Assistant U.S. Attorney Surya Saxena said Carlson's conviction should be a warning to others that selling synthetic drugs is considered a grave criminal offense.

Saxena pointed out that the arrest and conviction should put to rest any doubts that those kinds of drugs are illegal.

During the trial, the shop owner gave a fairly long statement saying that he was being unfairly treated because there are a dozen more synthetic drug sellers in the neighborhood and online that are not being prosecuted.

The defense argued that Carlson was not aware that the drugs he was selling were illegal. The argument was based on statements from the DEA and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar which cited that regulating the sales of the drugs would be challenging.

The jury disregarded the argument.

Carlson's former girlfriend, Lava Marie Haugen, who was proven to be a part of the drug sales, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Doty to five years in prison.

The case is considered as a stepping stone to regulating the sales of synthetic drugs in the market, a feat that will be hard to achieve, according to reports.

After the sentencing, Tigue said he plans on filing an appeal to further prove why his client thought what he was doing was legal.

Tagssynthetic drugs, james carlson, synthetic drug seller sentenced, duluth synthetic drugs