The conflicting positions of regulatory agencies regarding glyphosate’s cancer risk creates confusion for victims while providing Bayer with defense arguments that juries increasingly reject. While the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen based on comprehensive scientific review, the Environmental Protection Agency maintains that glyphosate poses no cancer risk when used according to label directions. This regulatory split extends globally, with European nations implementing glyphosate restrictions or bans while other countries follow EPA’s permissive approach.
California’s addition of glyphosate to its Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens requires cancer warnings on Roundup products sold in the state, though Bayer continues fighting this requirement in federal court. The ongoing regulatory controversy impacts litigation as defense attorneys cite EPA’s position to argue their product is safe, while plaintiff attorneys present evidence that Monsanto manipulated regulatory processes through ghostwritten studies and attacks on scientists who identified cancer risks.