In the Northgate area of Seattle, a very special garden has been built on decades of experience. As one of the few Black-owned gardens in the state, this team has worked diligently for years to build Magnus Premium Flower into the brand we know today.
Leon Verrett has been a prominent personality in the Washington Cannabis space for well over a decade. At times, he is best known for the Seattle Sluggerz Bluntz, a preroll line that has been a staple in the local market for years. The term “magnum opus” couldn’t describe the work and energy he has put into Magnus Premium Flower better.
Verrett’s journey started 30 years ago in the famed California Bay Area. After gaining an early foothold in the then-burgeoning Cannabis market, he shifted his energy to the housing sector. He spent 12 years perfecting the crafts of underwriting, sales, funding and processing. You name it, he’s done it.
Following the crashes we saw in real estate, it was no surprise that Verrett was drawn to a different industry. He landed at MetroPCS stores. Verrett purchased and ran multiple locations before ultimately deciding that MetroPCS was not the right fit for him. In 2012, while living in Los Angeles, a longtime friend who was in Seattle hit him up, and he decided to come check out our medical scene.
It didn’t take long before Verrett and his local friend founded Emerald City Collective Gardens, the first official medical Cannabis collective in downtown Seattle. This place was solely developed to serve patients with clean medicine and safe access. It’s not about the money; it’s about providing the plant to the people.
“I tell people, ‘I love growing, I hate selling it,’” Verrett told Northwest Leaf. “I’d rather give it away to the people that need medicine.”
Still one of the few Black-owned producers in the state, Verrett and the Magnus team are built from the ground up. Everyone here knows how to do each step of the process, and they do it with confidence and experience.
There was a particular calm feeling when we toured the facility; everyone was busy and efficiently completing their tasks without stress. The team mentality, being able to count on the person next to you, speaks volumes about the operation. Every product here is hand-grown and -processed. There’s no duff or trim in these prerolls; they are made of the same amazing buds you get when you purchase an eighth or an ounce.
To really see the fruits of their labor, give some of their unique strains a try. We sampled Queen of the South, an amazing hybrid that swings to the indica side. The beautiful flower consists of dark purple and crimson shades with a solid, dense structure. The flavors reminded us of berries and mint, complemented with a sweet finish. High was on point, relaxing, but no couch lock. We’d highly recommend this one for an afternoon sesh with some friends!
