Judge Tentative Ruling on Roundup is Good News for Farmers, Consumers

It’s good news for consumers that a superior court judge may put the brakes on a case alleging that the popular weed killer Roundup causes cancer. The science behind this claim — and nearly 9,000 other similar cases pending against Roundup’s manufacturer, Monsanto — is sorely lacking. If this case and others succeed, Roundup will likely be removed from the marketplace based on junk science claims about its risks. As a result, it would be more difficult for farmers to produce an affordable food supply for the rest of us, and consumers will have a harder time controlling weeds in their own gardens. The case involved a former groundskeeper, whose claimed that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, caused his non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The jury awarded $39 million for compensation and $250 million a punitive award because Monsanto did not provide warning that the chemical might cause cancer. In response to a Monsanto appeal, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos indicated that she will likely throw out the entire $250 million in punitive award and call for a new trial. According to CNN, Judge Bolanosexplained that the plaintiff “presented no clear and convincing evidence of malice or oppression to support an award of punitive damages.”...MORE