Glyphosate: A timeline of the controversial weedkiller’s history and legal troubles
Glyphosate: A timeline of the controversial weedkiller’s history and legal troubles


How did we get here? The timeline below includes some of the more significant events, starting with Monsanto’s founding.
Roundup History Timeline
1901: The Monsanto Chemical Works company was founded.
1970: Monsanto scientist John Franz discovered glyphosate could be used as an herbicide and patented the discovery.
1974: Monsanto brought glyphosate to market under the trade name Roundup.
1985: The Environmental Protection Agency classified glyphosate as a Group C Carcinogen, meaning it has “suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential.”
1991: EPA changed carcinogenic classification to Group E, meaning “evidence of non-carcinogenicity for humans.”
1996: Asgrow introduced Roundup Ready soybeans to the market, which have been genetically modified to resist the effects of Roundup.
…
2000: Monsanto’s glyphosate went off patent in 2000. Several product variants entered the market.
…
Jan. 28, 2016: San Francisco groundskeeper Dewayne “Lee” Johnson filed a lawsuit in California state court against Monsanto alleging his exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer and its active ingredient, glyphosate, caused him to develop Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with which Johnson was first diagnosed in August 2014.
Sept. 14, 2016: Bayer and Monsanto announce a definitive merger agreement under which Bayer will acquire Monsanto.
June 2, 2017: Alva and Alberta Pilliod sue Monsanto over Roundup in Alameda County Superior Court stating it caused both of their non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Alberta Pilliod was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma brain cancer in 2015 and Alva Pilliod was diagnosed in 2011.
June 7, 2018: Bayer completed the acquisition of Monsanto for $63 billion.
…
May 13, 2019: Jury sides with Pilliods and orders Monsanto to pay slightly over $2 billion ($1 billion to each) in punitive and a combined $55 million in compensatory damages.
…
June 24, 2020: Bayer announced a settlement between $8.8 billion and $9.6 billion to address close to 100,000 existing claims that exposure to Roundup caused their Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Another $1.25 billion was set aside to address claims by potential future plaintiffs, which would have included a maximum of $150 million in attorney fees.
May 26, 2021: Chhabria rejects Monsanto/Bayer’s proposal to deal with future cases.
July 29, 2021: Bayer announces it will remove glyphosate from the U.S. residential lawn and garden marketplace, effective January 2023.
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