Man awarded $80 million after jury finds Monsanto’s weed killer caused his cancer

A man was awarded $80 million by a federal jury in San Francisco after jury members determined last week that Monsanto’s weed-killer, Roundup, led him to develop cancer, BuzzFeed news reported.

The jury found on Wednesday that Monsanto, which manufactures the widely used weed killer, caused Edwin Hardeman, 70, harm by failing to adequately warn of the potential dangers of using the glyphosate-based herbicide.

Hardeman was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015 after using Roundup for more than two decades.{mosads}

He was reportedly given $75 million in punitive damages and about $5.8 million in compensatory damages.

Bayer, which purchased Monsanto last year, said it would appeal Wednesday’s verdict.

“We are disappointed with the jury’s decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.

“The verdict in this trial has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances. Bayer will appeal this verdict,” the spokesperson added.

The company is facing lawsuits from more than 11,000 plaintiffs alleging that exposure to glyphosate-based products caused them harm.

More than 50 U.S. cities and counties have banned the chemical, citing health concerns. 

The World Health Organization in 2015 classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen,” and researchers have not yet definitively linked the chemical to cancer. Researchers from the University of Washington found that glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used weed killer, increases the cancer risk of those exposed to it by 41 percent. 

Guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency says the weed killer has “low toxicity for humans.”

Updated 8:10 p.m.