Wyatt Purp: The Brand Changing Texas Cannabis landscape
(Story Originally written Jan 16th 2023 but was withheld by Wyatt Purp Legal Council)
Longtime friends Wyatt Larew and Dustin Ragon started their cannabis brand, Wyatt Purp. The business name stems from their cannabis oil that turns purple when it oxidizes. It’s also a play on Wyatt Earp, the American lawman and gambler who is portrayed in the classic movie “Tombstone.”
Ragon plays a behind-the-scenes operational role, while Larew is the dynamic face of the company. The pair call themselves complete opposites, but they complement each other nonetheless.
“I can’t do what he does, and he can’t do what I do,” Ragon said. “So it’s kind of like a perfect match.”
Upon receiving Texas hemp producer license No. 413 in 2020, Larew said he was determined to remain compliant with state laws. Originally, Ragon and Larew set out to manufacture delta 8 and other synthetic isomers but changed their minds after speaking with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
“When you manufacture a drug, whether it’s delta 9 or delta 8 or any other synthetic isomer, you’re manufacturing a drug that replicates or is just like marijuana, and the intent behind that is that you manufactured a schedule 1 drug,” Larew said.
Larew said he went on to create a cutting-edge THC delivery system using recycled waste from hemp operations.
“Every single person who makes CBD isolate has a byproduct of waste called mother liquor, and they throw it away,” Larew said. “I took their waste and turned it into natural THC. I found a way to isolate THC for $50 for 1 million milligrams. I took the same mother liquor and made 90% distillate so that I can make a much stronger product. When I started this, it was considered trash, and facilities would pay you to just haul off their waste. Now, they sell it. I completely changed the whole industry. This is the greatest up-cycle in human history.”
Larew calls his THC isolation technique multi-billion dollar technology but also says corporations have ignored it.
“They want to keep their monopoly [on synthetic THC], and they don’t want to produce quality products at a lower price,” he said.
Larew said he has concerns surrounding the production of synthetic products because the customer never knows who is making them or the equipment used.
A growing brand
Wyatt Purp’s products are sold in more than 100 Dallas-area shops, and the company also white labels products for Planet K stores.
“My company is always going to produce the best products,” Larew said. “I’ve won multiple awards for my edibles. My gummies are stronger than any marijuana gummy. They include all of your minor cannabinoids. That’s all I do is take the waste and remove the CBD, so you have an entourage effect.”
Wyatt Purp’s owners say they strive to cultivate long-term business relationships by providing premium products at competitive prices. The company also has a loyalty program that shoppers can sign up for on its website, wyattpurp.com. Every dollar spent equates to one point, and after earning 100 points, customers receive a coupon for 50% off all store products.
The flower of life
Larew said he had a near-death experience (NDE) related to a chronic kidney condition in 2019. During the phenomenon, he said he was given a glimpse into what’s next, as well as the notion that every plant is a conscious being like humans.
“I believe cannabis is a spirit, not just a plant,” Larew said. “That’s why there is so much karmic justice associated with it, and those that exploit it are never going to make it because they don’t realize what they’re messing with. During my NDE, I saw that cannabis was a really spiritual, powerful entity. It wasn’t like all of the other plants — it represents something like mother.”
While some may feel skeptical about Larue’s brush with the after-world, he says he has full faith in everything he saw and experienced. He calls cannabis “the flower of life” and believes humans were created through intelligent design to have and use it.
“Every mammal has an endocannabinoid system,” Larew said. “Whether you’ve ever used cannabis or not, you have it in your DNA. It controls your central nervous system and immune system. It’s part of what makes a Homosapien.”
Hate from the state
Larew has been vocal about his critical attitude toward state hemp and cannabis laws.
“The state just banned anyone in Texas from producing smokable hemp products in 2022,” he said. “We can still sell the products, just not from the farmers that are here.”
Additionally, Texas just opened a business license application period that will add more dispensaries to the state’s limited medical marijuana program. Requirements include a $7,500 non-refundable application fee as well as $10 million in liquid assets.
“The delta 8 and hemp thing in Texas was just a soft release of cannabis to get the people here to accept it. This was their incremental way of wedging their way in,” he said. “Now, they want to sell licenses to pharmaceutical companies and not allow anyone else to be part of it. The state wants to have a monopoly on cannabis productions.”
Larew points out that the state police are in charge of Texas’ medical marijuana program, which he calls obvious government corruption.
“They’re arresting people for using a schedule 1 drug that they say has no medical use,” Larew said. “They’re saying, ‘Unless you buy our drugs, it’s illegal.’”
A parting gift
As a result of his kidney condition, Larew said he has endured 15 life-saving surgeries in the past five years. Because he has a donor kidney that only matches three out of six genetic markers, he said he does not expect to live a long life.
“This is a patch, so this is my gift to everybody else,” he said. “I just know I was born for this. I know everything there is to know about cannabis. I’m a grower, and I have a spiritual connection to the plant.”
In the future, Larew believes that his technology will be accepted in industrial farming.
“We are just trying to bring natural safe cannabis options to the masses for a fraction of the cost of the government’s pay-to-play scam. It’s completely possible.”
Ragon echoes that sentiment and views Wyatt Purp as a way to provide a needed service for humanity.
“My mission is just to spread this medicine as far and wide as possible and get access to as many people as possible no matter what your income level is,” Ragon said.