By Melanie Diaz
Medical News Intern

As a 20-year-old college student, I admittedly don't know a lot about health care. I do know that even though I don't have a full-time job with benefits, I'm covered, at least for now, by my parents' insurance plan.

Young people often think we're unbreakable. Some of us don't think twice about our health, so why would we think about our health care? The reality is, just because we're young doesn't mean we don't get sick. There are still health risks out there, and we're all vulnerable to them. Just look at these realities:

- Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau has testicular cancer. He's 24.  Although this type of cancer is rare, it's the most common form of cancer in men ages 15 to 34, according to the National Cancer Institute.

- The American Cancer Society tells us that since 1998, the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has increased 3.7 percent in women ages 15 to 34.

- The American Academy of Dermatology says melanoma has become the most common cancer in young adults ages 25 to 29 and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old.

So when the Commonwealth Fund reports that 13.7 million young adults lack health care in 2006 (click here for more information), making the 19-29 age group one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the population without health insurance, this young adult starts to care about health care.

And now, since I'm old enough to vote, I've started to think about the upcoming election. I'm considering an issue I've never even thought about before - health care. I'm seeing just how relevant it is to both my present AND my future.

What do you think? How old are you? How much do you know and care about health care?

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

By Melanie Diaz
CNN Medical intern

Halfway through my undergraduate years, I think I can say I’ve been through enough to help me figure a few things out. But still, the college craze of cannabis continues to astound me. Oh, you know, marijuana, pot, ganja. If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with the terms.

My generation grew up with parents who were at Woodstock - hippies who believed in freedom on many levels. Freeing your mind was just one reason to smoke.

And now, we’re going through it too. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug on college campuses today. While this isn’t anything new, it’s still something to consider, especially when short-term effects of smoking include distorted perceptions, difficulty solving problems and complications with learning and memory.

But still, some of my classmates claim they can write more profound papers and engage in better conversations when high on marijuana. Others say they hit the pipe nearly every day and can still pull high GPAs. They say it’s just a phase.

Knowing this, it struck me when the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse recently released a study on marijuana. It supports my thoughts that marijuana might be more dangerous than we realize.

According to CASA, in the ‘70s, the chemical that determines the drug’s strength, THC, was at less than 1 percent of potency.

Now, potency levels are up to 8.8 percent in seized samples.

In addition, the study shows that abuse or dependency on the drug is up fivefold.

And finally, the findings reveal a 136 percent increase in the number of ER visits caused by marijuana.

These numbers are huge. This isn’t “Dazed and Confused”; it’s real life.

The facts suggest we’re getting higher than ever before, more people are getting hooked on the drug and more are going to the hospital because of marijuana.

What do you think? Is smoking marijuana now more a gamble with your health? Or is it just a phase that college students go through?

Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.