Southwest Florida Dentist among thousands who claim weedkiller caused cancer

Thousands of plaintiffs have joined a multi-district litigation against Monsanto, the maker of the popular Round Up herbicide.

Jeff Joffe, a dentist in Charlotte County, is one of those plaintiffs.

He said he used the product in his garden for 15 years before being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October 2016.

He said there were no warning labels on the product, alerting him that anything in the product was harmful.

But after his diagnosis, he found information linking the herbicide’s active ingredient glyphosate to cancer.

The International Agency for Cancer Research considers the glyphosate a “probable carcinogen.” The American Cancer Society published that list on its website.

However, the United States federal government does not link the chemical to cancer.

A jury in California began deliberating Tuesday in a state court lawsuit where a former school district landscaper with NHL is seeking a multi-million dollar payout from Monsanto.

Attorneys for Monsanto presented studies they said prove there is no link between glyphosate and cancer.

“It’s the most widely studied herbicide in the world and it does not cause cancer,” said Monsanto Vice President Scott Partridge.

The Environmental protection agency is responsible for regulating herbicides and pesticides. A spokesperson said all labels must list active ingredients as well as directions for use.

A search of the EPA’s product label system showed that the agency does not list any restricted uses for products containing glyphosate.

An attorney for Joffe said the verdict in the California case will not affect whether or not the multi-district litigation filed in federal courts across the county will move forward.