In not so shocking news, Pope Francis has announced that he is against marijuana legalization. At a drug enforcement conference in Rome, Pope Francis stated the following:

“Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise.” Pope Francis went on to say, “To think that harm can be reduced by permitting drug addicts to use narcotics in no way resolves the problem. Attemps, however limited, to legalize so-called recreational drugs are not only highly questionable from a legisltive standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects.”

The comments drew quick criticism from the Drug Policy Alliance. Per Vice:

“The Pope’s recent statement on drugs is unfortunate and irresponsible — especially considering that he hails from South America, where drug prohibition has had a disastrous impact for decades,” Yolande Cadore, director of strategic partnerships at the Drug Policy Alliance, told VICE News.

If it’s true that ‘with an evil there can be no yielding or compromise,’ I would point out to Pope Francis that arresting people and ruining their life for marijuana is evil. Using marijuana prohibition to disppraportionately harm minorities is evil. Denying patients medicine because their condition isn’t included on a government approval list is evil. Marijuana prohibition is evil, why isn’t Pope Francis standing up against it?