Cycle powered cannabis clinical trial

Cycle powered cannabis clinical trial starts!

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We are delighted to share some fantastic news with its roots in the cannabis community. After 10 years, a clinical trial started in Spain this September, which uses cannabis as a potential cancer treatment.

Over the next 18 months, 30 patients with brain cancer will be treated in 8 hospitals across Spain. They will receive a treatment consisting of the cannabinoids THC and CBD in combination with traditional cancer treatments using temozolomide and radiotherapy.

What makes this extra special is that this trial is a special collaboration between the medical cannabis community and the scientific sector, for the benefit of science.  The trial has been funded independently by the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour Foundation charity.

The money used was raised exclusively through sponsorship of five bike tours between 2013 – 2018 (which were documented on YouTube and social media).

So, to all the sponsors, riders, volunteers and supporters who were there through the 5 bike tours, WE SALUTE YOU!

Medical Cannabis Bike Tour clinical trial facts

– The clinical trial started in September 2023 and will last for 18 months at 8 specialized neuro-oncology medical sites (hospitals in Spain) and will involve 30 patients.

– Trial participants will be patients with glioblastoma (a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer).

– The trial will study the promising synergistic antitumor effect of combining ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) with traditional cancer treatments using temozolomide and radiotherapy. 

– The trial is based on the research of the Cannabinoid Signalling Group team at Complutense University Madrid, headed by Dr Manuel Guzmán and Dr Guillermo Velasco. Their research in the lab suggests that cannabinoids (a combination of THC and CBD) may inhibit the growth of (and in some cases even destroy) cancer cells. 

– The trial will be overseen by GEINO (Spanish Group of Neurological Investigation) with EU-GMP certified medical cannabis THC and CBD products for administering to patients provided by Tilray Medical.

– It is important to stress that cannabis is not the ‘silver bullet’, but another weapon in the arsenal of cancer treatment.   

– This first trial will test that the treatment is safe, monitor response and survival rates (compared to traditional treatments), and measure improvements to quality of life.

– After 18 months, data will be collated by clinical research organisation, MFAR and the results will be reported to the wider medical community.

– The MCBT Foundation was founded by Luc Krol (Paradise Seeds) and Matej Munih (Snail Rolling Papers).

– Five tours were held between 2013 and 2017 in Spain (x2), Holland/Germany/Belgium, Slovenia/Italy, Czechia/Austria. 

MCBT 2017 Compilation

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The 2017 Medical Cannabis Bike Tour took place in Czech Republic and Austria in October. Over 3 days, riders travelled 420km by bike and raised 90,000 Euros in the process.

The Medical Cannabis Bike Tour is a journey that began 5 years ago and has so far raised over 400,000 Euros from sponsorship. This will be used to pay for independent clinical trials to test the effectiveness of using cannabinoids (THC and CBD) to treat cancer patients.

The bike tour is the biggest cannabis sporting event in Europe and possibly beyond, attracting riders and volunteers from around the world. Each year it takes the message to a new destination and since its inception the tour has travelled through Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Czech Republic.

The 2017 Medical Cannabis Bike Tour began in the picturesque region of southern Bohemia in the Czech Republic and ended at the 10th anniversary Cultiva Expo in Vienna. Follow the tour as it happened with exclusive videos from each day.

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Medical Cannabis Bike Tour 2017 – Day #3

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It is the final day of the bike tour and this is the home run… all the way to Vienna. Leaving Emmersdorf we ride along the river passing the vineyards that this part of the region is famous for.

Despite the aches and pains, expectations are high and spirits are even higher… This tour began with the weather of nightmares, and finishes with the weather of dreams! Perfect cycling conditions today.

The MCBT is all about testing yourself, pushing the boundaries, chasing the challenge… For this reason there are two (and a half!) mountains to climb between lunch and home.

The tribes gather at the final rendezvous – teams from Canada, Holland, France, Slovenia, Germany, UK, Czech Republic and Italy. For the final 10, we ride as one unified peloton, an awesome sight as we cruise our way t the finish line at the 10th anniversary Cultiva expo.

There are medals and cheers for the rIders and then a check presentation for Dr Guillermo Velasco from Complutense University, Madrid, the man running the upcoming clinical trials we are funding.

And so another bike tour is finished, but the adventure continues… 420km, 3 days. Riders, volunteers, sponsors, film crews, we salute you! It’s been a blast 😉

Medical Cannabis Bike Tour 2017 – Day #2

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Day 2 and no rain. It’s a happy bike tour day today! We say goodbye to Linz and pick up the River Donau as we continue our journey through Austria.

From Linz the bike tour follows the river valley before leaving to climb up into the hills of Upper Austria, passing through small villages and farm country where locals stop to wave as the peloton speeds past, the trees displaying their Autumn splendour.

And today the peloton IS speeding! The riding conditions are perfect. Quickly the day forms into two main groups. “Tarmac like glass,” says one rider…

After lunch the route returns to follow the mighty River Donau, riding along the banks of the river valley, through wine country and to our Day 2 destination, the village of Emmersdorf.

Good spirits today and great vibes to take away the fatigue, the aches and pains of two days in the saddle. Team MCBT is ready for Day 3 and the last 130km of this great adventure… Vienna is calling!

Medical Cannabis Bike Tour 2017 – Day #1

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MCBT in Czech and Austria, in October? Hmmmm, people said, the weather could be a factor… And they were right!

Yesterday we arrived at our base camp in Frymburk, in Bohemia, Czech Republic. The sky was blue and the waters of the lake were calm. But in the night, the rain came…. and it didn’t stop.

We have never seen such a wet and cold start to the bike tour. Rain falls hard all morning as we circle the huge Lipno Reservoir, Autumn’s yellow leaves falling on wet roads. At midday,the tour crosses the River Rotbach and into Austria.

As with every first day the ride is a strange mixture of adrenaline and fatigue. But today is something else. In the mountains the wet riders get cold quickly. They must keep moving. Some veterans of 5 bike tours say this is the toughest MCBT day they have ever ridden!
But the bike tour pushes on, eventually breaking through the mountains. At Aschacan an der Donau, we get the first sight of the mighty River Donau and at last the rain stops.
The riders’ best friend now, the river leads the tour all way to our first stop in Linz.

Dr. Velasco explains research with cannabinoids for cancer treatment

Dr Guillermo Velasco from the Complutense University in Madrid talks about the upcoming independent clinical trials that are due to take place in Spain in 2018. The trials are being funded by donations from the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour, a non-profit organization that raises money through sponsorship of its annual bike ride.

Dr Velasco describes how the clinical trials will be conducted (based on a study of 30 patients), using the cannabinoids, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Dr Velasco will be overseeing the trials that are being conducted with the support of the Spanish Group on Neuro Oncological Investigation, GEINO. Current scientific evidence supports that cannabis derivatives may provide relief to patients suffering from gliomas.

Published studies have demonstrated that the active principles of cannabis promote cancer cell death. Pre-clinical work performed over the past few years by the Complutense University team, has proved that the active principles of cannabis have anticancer activity in animal and cell models of glioma.