Any person convicted of violating any provision of this Article or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and fined not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in the discretion of the court.  Nothing in this Article shall be construed as requiring the Commissioner or his authorized agent to report for prosecution or for the institution of seizure proceedings as a result of minor violations of the Article when he believes that the public interest will best be served by a suitable written warning. (1979, c. 590; 1993, c. 539, s. 743; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)