'The pigs can't shut us down': The Manchester Joint Café run by weed 'influencer' and 'connoisseur of cannabis' girlfriend
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA cannabis ‘influencer’ and his drug ‘connoisseur’ partner ran a café brazenly selling imported American ‘Cali weed’ from a ‘highly sophisticated’ Cheetham Hill industrial unit.
Ben Gardner, 36, and his then partner, Zoe Chrysanthou, 31, have both been jailed after the ‘commercial’ operation was discovered by police.
Manchester Crown Court heard the unit was transformed into the ‘Joint Café’, where members paid a £40 fee to gain access. As well as using cannabis, members could enjoy a bar serving food and drink and entertainment including pool tables and games consoles.
Gardner, who was said to be a cannabis ‘influencer’, was involved in promoting the café on social media. Chrysanthou flew out to California to arrange for the importation of Cali weed to be served at the premises. READ MORE: Body found in search for Jay Slater 29 days after teenager went missing in Tenerife When police happened upon the café, which had almost 1,800 paying members, they discovered about 70 people inside as many tried to flee.
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