Behind the Label Royal Harvest Cannabis: World-changing Weed with Heart

By Heather Egger

Rooted in craft and driven by purpose, BC’s Royal Harvest Cannabis has earned a reputation for growing premium, small-batch flower that honours the legacy of artisanal cannabis. From standout strains to sacred intention, Royal Harvest blends time-honoured methods with visionary ambition, proving that love and discipline are as vital to cultivation as soil and sun.

At the helm is Kevin Varner, a grower with over 35 years of experience, who started cracking seeds at age 12 on his mother’s windowsill in Nova Scotia. Raised in a community where cannabis was medicine—not contraband—Kevin saw firsthand how the plant could ease pain, strengthen bonds, and give back. “At a young age, we weren’t taught about the money you could make off it,” he recalls. “We were taught how to help elders with cancer. It was always about healing and family.”

That mindset still guides Royal Harvest today. Kevin’s approach is deeply personal—shaped by a difficult upbringing, a sense of spiritual calling, and a fierce belief in the plant’s potential to transform lives. “Cannabis is one of the original sacred plants,” he says. “It doesn’t need modification to be great. It just needs care.”

Royal Harvest’s grow philosophy reflects that reverence. Kevin stays true to his roots as a “gorilla grower,” cultivating in soil and hand-watering when possible. “Even as we scale, I want enough plants that each one gets looked at every day,” he says. His feeding program, based on years of refinement, has been honed to the point that he could teach it to anyone, even someone who’s never grown a plant before. “I’ve built a system that produces top-tier cannabis on any scale. It’s consistent, replicable, and built from experience.”

All flower is hang-dried and hand-trimmed with quality checks at every step. “To become the best,” Kevin says, “you have to skip no corners. That’s the truth. It doesn’t matter how big we get—every plant still needs love.”

That dedication shows in the product. Frosted Fruitcake, one of Royal Harvest’s flagship strains, has become a signature favourite for its Froot Loops-and-gas profile and full-spectrum effects. “It hits on every level—recreational, medical, emotional,” Kevin says. “I smoke a lot, and I’m picky. This one’s a no-brainer.”

Another standout is Korzie Kush, a Gelato 45 x Triangle Kush cross named in honour of Kevin’s late business partner, Korzanowski. “We released it in his memory. It sold out in BC almost instantly,” he says. “The reviews, the messages we’ve received—he’d be proud.”

Though currently focused on the BC market, Royal Harvest is scaling strategically, with new facilities in Kelowna and a state-of-the-art greenhouse on the Sunshine Coast. The latter will support solventless extracts, live rosin, and matched SKU product lines, such as Frosted Fruitcake flower and corresponding rosin. Kevin’s goal is to collaborate with skilled hashmakers and support their transition into the legal market: “It’s not just about Royal Harvest. It’s about all of us—bringing our experience together to elevate the whole industry.”

That spirit of excellence hasn’t gone unnoticed. Over the past three years, Royal Harvest has earned recognition at some of the industry’s most respected events. In 2023, Frosted Fruitcake took top honours at the Collector’s Cup, while Sherb‑O won first place at the Rosebud Bowl, held during the Unicorn Music Festival. The momentum continued in 2024 with a third-place finish at the Grow Up Canadian Cannabis Championship and first place and Rookie of the Year at the 2024 ARCannabis Cup.

Through it all, Kevin leads with conviction. His life has been shaped by faith, hard lessons, and an unwavering belief in the power of cannabis to do good. “This plant saved me. It’s been my therapist, my teacher, my purpose,” he says. “And now it’s time to give that love back—to my team, to my family, to this world.”

At Royal Harvest, cannabis isn’t just a crop. It’s a calling.

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