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Dewayne Johnson said that had he known what he now knew about Roundup herbicide, "I would never have sprayed this product on the grounds of the plant. 39; school … if I knew it would cause harm … It is unethical. Johnson, a school gardener in northern California who is terminally ill, testified on Monday in his landmark lawsuit against Monsanto about the company's popular weed cancer risks. He is the first to take the agrochemical company to court for claims that the chemical sold under the Roundup brand is linked to cancer.
He spoke for the first time at the San Francisco trial, detailing his use of Monsanto's products, his extensive exposure to herbicides, and his belief that chemicals have caused non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a cancer blood cells. He also described the suffering that he endured when skin lesions invaded his body.
"I went through a lot of pain," said Johnson, a father of three who calls Lee. "It really takes you all … I do not improve."
His doctors said that he could only have a few months to live.
Johnson's lawyers have argued in court that Monsanto has "fought the science" over the years and has worked to "intimidate" researchers who have raised concerns about the potential health risks of its herbicide product. At the beginning of the trial, the lawyers presented Monsanto's internal emails, which they said revealed the company's repeated efforts to ignore the experts' warnings while seeking favorable scientific analysis and helping to "ghostwrite" the positive documents.
Thousands of people have filed similar complaints across the United States, and a federal judge in California this month ruled that hundreds of cancer survivors or those who have lost loved ones may also be tried . Johnson's case has attracted international attention, the judge allowing his team to present scientific arguments about glyphosate, the most used herbicide in the world.
Monsanto continued to claim that Roundup, which is registered in 130 countries and approved for use on more than 100 crops, is safe and unrelated to cancer, despite studies suggesting the opposite. Notably, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization has classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in 2015, a decision that was central During the lawsuit
Johnson, 46, took the He stated that he was excited when he got a job as a gardener and pest manager for the school district of Benicia, a northern suburb of San Francisco. Part of the work, which began in 2012, involved spraying a herbicide to control weeds in schoolyards – sometimes several hours a day.
Although wearing full protective gear while spraying, he was often exposed to Roundup and Ranger Pro, two Monsanto glyphosate products, due to "drift", it testifies.
"You had it on your face every day," he said. "It was somehow inevitable."
Johnson described two incidents in which he said that he was poorly exposed to chemicals due to accidents and leaks while spraying, including a hose break.
"He put on my clothes, did everything," he said of an incident, noting that before his cancer he had a "perfect skin" but after that he began to spray and be exposed, he became ill. rashes, lesions and wounds all over his body. "I had it all over."
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
"It was a very scary, confused moment, and I did not know what was going on," said Johnson, who also recounted his calls to Monsanto looking for information on possible risks, and lack of cancer responses or warnings from the company.
"It's so difficult when you can not work, you can not support your family," added Johnson, who said he'd do another round of chemotherapy in less from one month.
Araceli Johnson, Dewayne's wife also gave a moving testimony in court Monday, saying she now has two jobs in a local school district and a retirement home, sometimes working 14 hours per week. day.
"It's very stressful. It's too difficult for me to explain what I really feel, "she said, recounting the cancer diagnosis and its aftermath. "My world just closed, I could not think, I could not clean, I could not do anything."
His wife recalled the worst moments of chemotherapy when her husband struggled to get up and surrender at his uncle's funeral: "He starts crying … and saying," I want to die "And that broke my heart."
Araceli also talked about their two sons, ages 10 and 13, and said that she had trouble explaining their father's cancer. Her message to them, she said, was, "He's just very sick … Spend time with him, get to know your father."
In a statement to the Guardian, Monsanto noted studies that have found Roundup is safe, adding, "We have empathy for anyone suffering from cancer, but the scientific evidence clearly shows that glyphosate is not the cause."
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