Federal judge allows Monsanto pesticide lawsuit to move forward News
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Federal judge allows Monsanto pesticide lawsuit to move forward

A judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled Tuesday that there is sufficient evidence that Monsanto’s popular weed killer, Roundup, might be carcinogenic, allowing lawsuits to move forward.

Judge Vince Chhabria’s order [text, PDF] cites different scientific tests and testimony from multiple doctors and scientists. These reports show that the company behind Roundup, Monsanto, may have been incorrect when saying that their product had no link to cancer.

Chhabria recognizes that the evidence supporting the link may be weak, but it is still substantial enough for lawsuits regarding Roundup and cancer to move forward.

It’s a close question whether to admit the expert opinions of Dr. Portier, Dr. Ritz, and Dr. Weisenburger that glyphosate can cause NHL [Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma] at human-relevant doses. Therefore, it’s a close question whether to grant or deny Monsanto’s motion for summary judgment. But the Court concludes that the opinions of these experts, while shaky, are admissible.

Monsanto is facing several hundred lawsuits at the federal and state level, and Chhabria is the judge presiding over nearly 400 of them.