Dear John,

Did you hear that the NBA may allow their players to promote marijuana companies? NBA players are role models for young kids, this reiterates to children the lie that marijuana is harmless, or even something they should want to use. We know these players have an influence, this is why the NBA doesn't allow them to promote tobacco companies!

I co-authored an op-ed with Teresa Haley, President of the NAACP Illinois State Conference, in the Chicago Tribune condemning this move.

"NBA stars are known for their highflying feats on the court. Now, they might just be high.

"Reports have suggested the new tentative contract between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association might do the unthinkable: The deal may allow players to use marijuana and THC products during the season without being penalized. It may even permit players to promote and invest in companies selling the drug, which is stronger and more dangerous than ever."

Read the op-ed in the Chicago Tribune here.

If you don't have a Chicago Tribune subscription, you can read the article on the SAM website here.

Also, make sure to read this big story in today's Washington Post, detailing the plight of parents with children addicted to marijuana.

"That sense of disbelief - pot wouldn't do this - is prevalent among parents who have watched their teenagers become gripped by addiction. But the landscape of teen marijuana use has radically transformed in the decades since today's parents were teens..."

Read this op-ed in the Washington Post here.