A dying cancer patient in California sued Monsanto, accusing the company of giving him cancer. Dewayne Johnson, 46, claims that Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup is behind his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis.
The father of two is just one of the more than 800 people who sued Monsanto last year alone over similar concerns. Since Johnson has terminal cancer, the court has agreed to take his case first, as California’ laws require.
The plaintiff worked as a school groundskeeper for several years.
- Johnson said his job required from him to apply the weed killer up to 30 times annually.
- Doctors said that the man is nearing death.
- If Johnson wins, his case could spark a precedent in the dispute.
Monsanto has been in the hot seat over Roundup’s cancer-causing effects ever since the World Health Organizations’ cancer research arm published a study on March 20, 2015. That study described the product as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Roundup Might Be Cancer-Causing
The study found that Johnson’s type of cancer might be caused by glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer.
In addition, there is convincing evidence that glyphosate also can cause cancer in laboratory animals,
the WHO study shows.
In return, Monsanto has repeatedly denied that there is any link between its weed killer and cancer. The agricultural giant noted that over 800 studies have shown no such link between glyphosate and Roundup.
Monsanto pledged to present the scientific evidence suggesting that the herbicide is safe in court. A spokesperson for the company added that regulators worldwide ensured that the company’s products are safe.
The EPA-backed National Pesticide Information Center in Oregon has concluded that the studies about glyphosate’s risks have yielded “conflicting results.” If Monsanto is proved wrong in court, it could pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for not warning customers in advance.
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