Roundup Cancer Warning: Will California Lead the Way?

California last week edged closer to adding a label warning consumers about the danger of Roundup Weed Killer cancer. 

Judge Kristi Kapeta, who serves the Fresno County Superior Court, took the state’s latest step towards a formal warning on the Monsanto product. Kapeta confirmed a tentative ruling that would allow California to become the first state to label Roundup with a cancer notice, based on the potential dangers of its main ingredient glyphosate.

Roundup is by far the most widely applied weed killer product, commonly used by households and commercial farmers alike. While glyphosate is on the FDA’s radar, the agency was forced to suspend testing on the herbicide last year due to a lack of consensus on effective test methodologies. California’s attempts to raise consumer awareness of the associated dangers may be the first to pass, but the state isn’t alone in casting a long and wary legal eye over the issue.

The focus on glyphosate and, by extension, Monsanto, comes from both ends of the chain. Use of Roundup by farmers is one. The presence of the controversial carcinogen in popular food products is another. Shortly after the FDA ceased its tests, reports began to surface about research that found glyphosate in commonly available brands of oatmeal and honey.

For its part, Monsanto argues that warning labels would severely damage sales of its popular product and points to more than 40 years of selling Roundup in 160+ countries around the world.

Nonetheless, complaints continue to flow from spouses whose partners died after lengthy exposure to the product and consumers who accuse the company of covering up its dangers. The lawsuits are about more than warning labels, too. Many link Roundup use to developing cancer, especially non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which attorneys say is a particularly prevalent complaint in the cases they’re fighting.

Even as the debate rages around the real dangers of glyphosate, one thing is certain: Roundup weed killer cancer concerns aren’t going away anytime soon. In fact, if attorneys for California get their way, many more consumers will be made aware of the potential health problems associated with the product.

If you already have experience with this product and have concerns for your health, contact a medical professional and request a case evaluation to review your legal position.