Roundup Cancer Verdict

Source: yahoo.com

A California jury levied a $290 million judgement against Monsanto, now Bayer. This judgement found in favor of the plaintiff whom claims that after years of exposure to the herbicide roundup he developed cancer. According to his doctors, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Over the years there has been many trials done to link glyphosate with various forms of cancer. The results have been inconclusive as some test show a positive link and others show a negative link. It should be noted that glyphosate was classified as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' by the WHO in 2015. Its usage has been banned in several European countries. In 2017, the European Parliament voted to phase out the use of glyphosate over the next 5 years.

Monsanto's owners are still holding the belief that glyphosate is safe, in a statement they state "We are sympathetic to Mr. Johnson and his family" but promised to "continue to vigorously defend this product". Monsanto VP Scott Partridge told reporters that "The jury got it wrong". The jurors unanimously found that Monsanto acted with malice and that Roundup as well as the professional grade RangerPro contributed substantially to Johnson's terminal illness.

It is logical (in a business sense) that Monsanto will appeal the decision because this will open the door to a slew of lawsuits against them. Also considering that Roundup is the company's leading product, the company's future will likely hinge on this case.