Pope Francis condemns legalisation of recreational drugs

Pope Francis spoke out Friday against legalizing recreational drugs, telling participants at the International Drug Enforcement Conference in Rome that, "Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise."

As public opinion shifts on the use of recreational drugs, two U.S. states have made marijuana use legal and several other states, cities and countries have decriminalized its use or have announced plans to do so.

But Francis said such policies are "not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects," he said.

"To think that harm can be reduced by permitting drug addicts to use narcotics in no way resolves the problem," he said.