Reuters writer Tom Polansek reported yesterday that, “A federal judge has temporarily blocked California’s plans to require cancer warnings on products containing the popular weed killer glyphosate, in a win for manufacturer Monsanto Co.
“U.S. District Judge William Shubb said the warnings would be misleading because glyphosate is not known to cause cancer, according to court documents filed on Monday in California. He still allowed the state to keep glyphosate on a list of cancer-causing products.
“‘Given the heavy weight of evidence in the record that glyphosate is not in fact known to cause cancer, the required warning is factually inaccurate and controversial,’ Shubb wrote.”
Mr. Polansek explained that, “The judge’s decision is important for Monsanto because warnings could discourage use of glyphosate, which is widely used by farmers on genetically engineered crops and by consumers on lawns. The company’s agricultural productivity segment, which includes glyphosate, had net sales of $3.7 billion in fiscal-year 2017.
“Monsanto, which is being acquired by Bayer AG, and U.S. farm groups sued California in November to stop the warnings.”
