Canola, a specific edible type of rapeseed developed in the 1970s, contains about 40 percent oil and became popular as a substitute for traditional cooking oils. The name is derived as “Can” (for Canada) and “ola” (for oil low acid) and Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fats of all commonly used oils.  While much is imported, North Dakota leads the U.S. in canola, approximately 92 percent of domestic production.
 
Canola has been one of numerous genetic modification success stories but GMOS have been scrutinized far more extensively than the science claiming saturated fats were dangerous, which led to the development of Canola in the first place.  A non-peer-reviewed study in PLoS One says populations of genetically engineered canola 1 have been found outside of cultivation in North Dakota. This is a concern not so much because there are any side effects but, as GMOs become more widespread due to their reduced need for pesticides and optimization for their growing environment, the time for testing will be shorter.

The genetically engineered canola endowed with herbicide resistance were found growing outside of established cultivation regions along roadsides across North Dakota - 45% of the total roadside plants sampled. 

They found populations were found to persist from year to year and that the escaped plants could hybridize with each other to create novel combinations of transgenic traits. 

The authors argue that their result "raises questions of whether adequate oversight and monitoring protocols are in place in the U.S. to track the environmental impact of biotech products."

However, they acknowledge that biotechnology is providing an important science solution for  feeding a rapidly growing population and not simply allowing food to become a luxury for the rich. "We must safely engage all tools available to us to advance food, fuel and fiber alternatives as modern agriculture rises to the challenges of the next decade".

"More than half of the earth's terrestrial landscape is managed in cultivated crops or forage species," says lead researcher Cynthia Sagers, "yet we have little understanding of how domesticated plants influence their wild relatives. This study is a first step in addressing these questions by documenting that domesticated species have a life outside of cultivated fields."