A new study evaluating data collected by the World Health Organization has found that strict drug laws don’t do anything to prevent young people from using cannabis.

The study was conducted by University of Kent professor Alex Stevens and looked at data collected from over 100,000 individuals across 38 countries. While many people have argued that loosening cannabis laws will lead to increased use of the substance by young people, Stevens says his research shows there is “no evidence of a link between tougher penalties and lower cannabis use.”

See the original article at Civilized