In a recent interview, the world-famous pop star admitted she was heavily addicted to marijuana. “I have been addicted to it and it’s ultimately related to anxiety coping and it’s a form of self-medication and I was smoking up to 15 or 20 marijuana cigarettes a day with no tobacco,” she said. “I was living on a totally other psychedelic plane, numbing myself completely.”

Lady Gaga said she was speaking out to bust the myth that marijuana is just a harmless plant. “I just want young kids to know that you actually can become addicted to it, and there’s this sentiment that you can’t and that’s actually not true.”…

In its own report arguing against marijuana legalization, the American Medical Association said: “Heavy cannabis use in adolescence causes persistent impairments in neurocognitive performance and IQ, and use is associated with increased rates of anxiety, mood and psychotic thought disorders.”

The country can ill-afford a costly experiment with drugs. While we are undergoing a national debate over improving health care costs and education performance, legalizing marijuana will undercut those vital missions.