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I found your article very interesting. Thank you very much. One question I had is what and how COMPASS obtained their IP. Surely “distillation” of the psychoactive substance is widely known? It would be a bit like me trying to patent pancake mixture.

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You're right - so Compass the for-profit has only filed an application for patent. But it's likely they're trying to patent a method of manufacturing the compound, rather than the compound itself (which, as you say, is publicly know.) As for the IP owned by Compass the non-profit, they didn't respond to comments on what that is, so it's not clear what exactly it entails.

Thanks. I also really appreciate the opportunity to ask questions of a writer whose (very well written) essay one has just read. I have a feeling their patent application will be blocked because the process was not COMPASS’s to begin with. It seems that third parry experts in your article provided them with this knowledge - and it would be abuse of the patent system for them to claim property rights over something not theirs. It’s a bit like inviting yourself round to a neighbour’s barbecue and then filing for property rights over their garden. Well I hope that’s the case!

Are we speculating that the patent filed is on the process for production? Any references here?

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