Graham Pechenik - The Psychedelic Patent Puzzle: Unraveling the Impact on Innovation vs. Access

Graham Pechenik, founder and patent attorney at Calyx Law, joins The Psychedelic Podcast to delve into the complex world of patents and their impact on the psychedelic landscape. 

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here.

Pechenik raises thought-provoking questions about the patent system's role in fostering innovation while also potentially hindering research and restricting use. He suggests that the patent system, intertwined with regulatory and healthcare structures, often determines whether groundbreaking substances like psilocybin gain FDA approval. Pechenik also explores concerns surrounding excessive psychedelic patents, comparing the unique approaches of COMPASS Pathways, MAPS, and Paul Stamets. 

As the episode unfolds, Graham and Paul contemplate the delicate balance between patent protection and freedom of use in the burgeoning psychedelics industry.

Graham Pechenik is a registered patent attorney and the founder of Calyx Law, a law firm specializing in cannabis and psychedelics-related intellectual property. 

Graham has a BS from UC San Diego, where he chose Cognitive Neuroscience and Biochemistry majors—after his first psychedelic experiences inspired a deep curiosity about the bases for changes in consciousness—and a JD from New York University, where he initially pursued interests in bioethics and cognitive liberty. 

After a decade at large law firms defending and challenging patents for Fortune 500 companies across the agricultural, chemical, pharmaceutical, biotech, and technology industries, including working on several landmark patent cases both at trial and on appeal, Graham started Calyx Law in 2016 to help cannabis and psychedelics ventures design and implement their IP strategies. 

Graham is also editor-at-large of Psychedelic Alpha, where he writes about psychedelics IP, provides data for patent trackers, and maintains a psychedelics legalization and decriminalization tracker. He is the founding steward of the IP Committee of the Psychedelic Bar Association, where he is also on the Board of Directors, and is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. 

Graham was raised in Oakland, CA, and currently lives in San Francisco.

Highlights:

• Examining the unique patent process for the Stamets Stack microdosing protocol.
• How to enforce patents on illegal substances like psilocybin.
• Unpacking COMPASS Pathways’ psilocybin polymorph patent.
• The pros & cons of psychedelic patents.
• How psychedelic patents could hinder therapeutic expansion.
• Graham’s motivation to enter the psychedelic patents space.

Key Links:

• Calyx Law
• Graham on Twitter
• Psychedelic Alpha Psilocybin Patent Tracker
• (blog) Microdosing Psilocybin Mushrooms with the Stamets Stack
• (psychedelic research) New Microdosing Study Investigates “Stamets Stack”
• (psychedelic research) Oregon’s Psychedelic Path: What Coaches and Consumers Need to Know

Episode Sponsors:

• Numinus
• Sayulita Wellness