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California court affirms previous glyphosate ruling

A California state appeals court has dealt Monsanto and a coalition of ag groups a legal setback, ruling the state was well within in its legal bounds when it decided to list glyphosate as a possible cancer-causing agent.

California’s Fifth Appellate District affirmed a previous court ruling, saying California’s decision to list glyphosate as a possible carcinogen, based on determinations made by an international health organization, did not override the rights of U.S. citizens.

California based its decision to list glyphosate on a 2015 conclusion from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that the chemical was a “probable” human carcinogen. Monsanto claims California is illegally delegating lawmaking powers to an unaccountable foreign agency.

There’s no word yet on whether Monsanto and partners will take the ruling up to the highest court. Monsanto said it is reviewing the ruling “and will be analyzing further options.”