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With marijuana being the most commonly used illicit drug (according to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2010), mass legalization in the United States could become a catastrophic problem. Medical usage of the drug has become legal in 18 states, and we as a nation are starting to see the aftereffects.

The recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington has caused millions of druggies around the nation to be whipped into an exuberant frenzy. Their thoughts of “getting baked” without the consequences are purely mind-boggling to them. But listen up, all of you modern pseudo-hippies – according to the Office of National Drug Control, today’s cannabis is much stronger than Mom and Dad’s reefer in the ‘70s, and is packed full of nasty goodies, like carcinogens and co-carcinogens, which cause cell damage, immune system dysfunction, greater mental illness and even cancer. Dude! Why such a downer, man. I know – how sad.

So, if you’re going to smoke marijuana, you should know about the real dangers of this drug. In a recent article written by NBC columnist, Bill Briggs, he mentions the recent study done by scientists at the University of Southern California and the American Cancer Society this past year: they say they have detected a link between the recreational use of marijuana and a greater chance of contracting non-seminoma tumors, a dangerous form of testicular cancer. Wow! Dude! Ain’t that a kick in the crotch.

While some older studies suggest little cancer danger from marijuana, this recent study shows a doubling in lung cancer for male marijuana smokers who also used tobacco.

Some claim legalizing pot is harmless and would be a non-problematic situation. They say it could even be beneficial to the country, producing more than $60 million a year in revenue. This flow of money coming from the sales of marijuana could help the struggling economy.

True, but what about the users who contract mental illness or cancer from this drug? The government’s assistance to these mentally ill patients will cause the national debt to soar even higher. And you think we have a problem with drunk drivers on the road? Wait until they’re drunk and high.

So, why not legalize it? After all, it’s a natural substance found in nature, right? Right. It is natural. So is arsenic. However, taking the “natural” marijuana leaf, drying it out, lighting it and breathing in the smoke is not natural. Neither is eating it.

Another myth is that you can’t get addicted to it. Oh, and it’s the “healthiest” drug you can use. Right? Wrong. According to the 2002 national survey done by Drug Use and Health, 4.3 million Americans were classified with dependence on, or abuse of, marijuana. And the chance of addiction is higher for those who start in their early teens. Not to mention, users will have a higher chance of becoming addicted to various other illicit drugs in their lifetime, compared to someone who does not use marijuana.

As I stated earlier, mental illness is also a dangerous repercussion of marijuana use, one that I have seen overtake my older brother’s life due to drug usage.

Over the past 20 years, 30 different scientific studies (mostly done in the U.K., Australia and Sweden) have been linked significantly with the increased probability of developing psychosis and schizophrenia.

A study done in Sweden with 50,000 members of the Swedish Army found that those who were heavy users of marijuana in their teens were more than 600 percent more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than those who were not users. The same study found that 80 percent of schizophrenia cases are linked to cannabis use.

And, in the U.K., a study found an estimated 800 cases of schizophrenia in the United Kingdom could be prevented each year by ending marijuana consumption.

But there is a bright side. As a drug, marijuana does have legitimate uses. It’s used in medications like Marinol, to help treat medical problems including AIDS and various forms of cancer, although it has never been proven to be medically beneficial. And, according to the Institute of Medicine, it is not recommended for long-term use, and is not considered to be a modern form of medicine. However, some patients on chemotherapy can find some relief from nausea by smoking marijuana.

The bottom line is that marijuana prescribed from a doctor may be a good idea for select patients who are sick, but buying a bag of weed from Ace the neighborhood drug dealer is not.

For those of you who still aren’t convinced about the real dangers of cannabis use, let me break it down.12