A DRUG dealer was caught selling cannabis sweets for £15 a pop and with plans to supply customers with THC vapes.

When Gwent Police raided Carwyn Jones’ flat they found nearly a kilo of cannabis leaf and flowering head, the sweets and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical in the class B drug that makes you high.

Andrew Kendall, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court how the 46-year-old defendant was arrested after officers got a tip-off from a Swalec worker who had visited his home.

Police gathered further evidence after they recovered drug-related messages from Jones’ mobile phone.

“There was evidence of the defendant sourcing vaping cartridges from a company in China to fill with THC and he was sourcing 500 cartridges,” Mr Kendall said.

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“Also, there were talks about having a constant supply of edibles as long as he could get enough customers.

“And there were talks about having been paid £450 for a machine which he would use to analyse THC content.”

Jones, 46, of Greensway, Abertysswg, Caerphilly pleaded guilty to the production of cannabis and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

The defendant was arrested on April 13, 2021 and Mr Kendall said there was no explanation from the prosecution as to why the case had taken more than two-and-a-half years to come to court.

Jones had 43 previous convictions for 106 offences.

There was one drug trafficking conviction from 2018 for possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

The defendant, who was represented by Owen Williams, used cannabis to self-medicate to help him with “pain management”.

The judge, Recorder Christopher Felstead, told Jones: “There was 993 grams of cannabis leaf and flowering head recovered with some edible sweets and THC, and there was some reasonably sophisticated equipment including pressure cookers, presses and so on.

“Phones were recovered and drug messages were found on the phones.”

He told the defendant he was prepared to suspend his eight-month prison sentence for 18 months because he believed he could be rehabilitated in the community.

Jones must complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay a victim surcharge.

The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and equipment.