U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled that cancer victims and their families can present expert testimony linking Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He called the evidence “rather weak,” but said that expert opinions were not “junk science” that must be excluded.
The lawsuits claim that Monsanto knew about the cancer risk of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, for years — and yet failed to adequately warn consumers about the potential danger.
Judge Chhabria allowed the lawsuits to move forward, but noted that it could be a “daunting challenge” to get the cases presented to a jury.
Monsanto denies any link between Roundup and cancer, pointing to hundreds of studies showing that the chemical ingredients are safe.
The World Health Organization has classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” but the risk is disputed by U.S. agencies.
Trial is underway in San Francisco in a lawsuit filed by a school groundskeeper who is dying of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is the first lawsuit to proceed to trial alleging that Roundup causes cancer.
Source: Lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer can move forward