Dying Cancer Patient Sues Monsanto for Hiding 'Cancer Chemicals' In Weedkiller
DeWayne Johnson, 46, who only has few months left to live
© press
A Californian groundskeeper who is dying from terminal cancer is set to become the first person to take agrobiotechnology giant Monsanto to court for suppressing information about the cancer risks associated with its weedkilling product roundup.
DeWayne Johnson, 46, who only has few months left to live, will stand against Monsanto in Francisco County Superior Court in a landmark trial. The trial is due to begin June 18.
Father of three Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 42. He was exposed to Monsanto weedkilling chemicals like RangerPro, another Monsanto glyphosate product when he was employed as a gardener for a school district.
“Monsanto does not want the truth about Roundup and cancer to become public,” Johnson's attorney, Michael Miller, told the Guardian. “We look forward to exposing how Monsanto hid the risk of cancer and polluted the science.”
RT reports: The corporation attempted to bar experts, hired by Johnson, from testifying and his legal team from using certain research. Monsanto insists that cancer the man suffers from hasn’t been caused by exposure to its products.
According to the order signed by San Francisco Superior Court judge Curtin Karnow last week, some of Monsanto's requests were granted.
However, the judge allowed Johnson's lawyers to deploy various peer-reviewed studies and expert evidence during the trial.
#Monsanto sues California over weed killer cancer warnings as it 'violate the First Amendment' https://t.co/Ip0J9s9NPA
— RT (@RT_com) November 15, 2017
Monsanto and US farm groups have sued California to stop the state from issuing cancer warnings on weed killer glyphosate.
The state of California and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), have previously labeled glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen.
\However, US and EU watchdogs haven’t banned the chemical from widespread agriculture use.
Monsanto has rejected all allegations and scientific findings of carcinogenicity of the chemical.
In the meantime, around 4,000 plaintiffs have filed similar lawsuits, claiming that they or their relatives were sick from the exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup.
