Health

Another Jury To Determine Whether Bayer's Weed Killer Causes Cancer

In a San Francisco federal trial starting this week, a jury will decide whether Roundup weed killer caused a California man's cancer.

Another Jury To Determine Whether Bayer's Weed Killer Causes Cancer
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Bayer is heading to court over alleged health risks linked to one of its weed killer products. 

A federal jury trial in San Francisco is starting this week to determine whether the herbicide Roundup caused a California man's cancer. 

The plaintiff claims he started using the product on his property in the 1980s and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2015. 

It's not the first time a case like this has made it to court. 

Last year, a California jury found that Roundup contributed to another man's terminal cancer in a multi-million-dollar state trial verdict. 

The weed killer is sold around the world and widely used in the U.S. Federal regulators say the product's ingredient is safe for people to use under the label's directions. 

World Health Organization researchers have called it a probable human carcinogen, but they got some backlash over that claim. 

The legal battle is another hurdle for Bayer, which purchased Monsanto in 2018 for more than $60 billion. Experts say it could serve as a test for future litigation, setting a precedent for attorneys on whether similar suits will fare better in court or settling out of court. 

According to the Associated Press, the trial is expected to last about a month.