There is growing speculation that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is on its way in the NBA – the silence about any talks has to be a good sign, I’d suggest – and there’s one issue that I wonder how they’ll deal with now.

Marijuana.

Aside from the other, um, things that came out of Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election, four more states have basically legalized the use of recreational marijuana, three voted to approve its use for medical purposes and I wonder how the league will react to that news.

In full disclosure mode, I don’t use marijuana, either recreationally or for medicinal purposes.

I have in the past but not in decades because all it ever did for me recreationally was make me want a Bundt cake or fall asleep. The time I spent sharing a house with about four standup comics who would, um, indulge every single day was fun and I probably existed on contact highs without knowing it but I never got its allure.

I can, however, attest to its medicinal use. Super Brother had a “compassion card” for years and years before he died and I am sure it kept him alive longer than he would have been; I have purchased dope in an alley behind an old office for a friend battling cancer who has become quite prominent in some circles and people I know very well use it today and swear by it. I think it’s necessary.

Now, the other part?

I think the NBA needs to get with the times and somehow relax its penalties for marijuana use as part of it’s anti-drug program, a point I’ve made often in the past and one that I think resonates a bit more today since a larger part of the United States has determined there’s nothing illegal about it use.

I don’t think in any way, shape or form that it’s a “performance enhancer” and given the lifestyles of so many players, I would suggest many use it as many others use the odd beer or cocktail.

I think they should be allowed to without fear of penalty now that society as a whole seems to be moving more quickly to, if not legalization, at least decriminalization of its possession and.

Now, I’m not talking any other recreational substance, I think the health concerns about those are more serious, I see the addiction issues and all that come with those.

Plus, the use and possession of many remain illegal everywhere and that needs to be taken into account.

But is it fair to suspend NBA players for something they can legally possess and use in some many states where there are franchises? Don’t we see the trouble with that?

I would imagine the use of marijuana and the penalties for it were far, far down the list of priorities as the NBA and the players association work towards a new deal that could come to fruition in the next month.

But this is the time to deal with it, to reduce or remove the suspensions that are handed out to repeat offenders under a policy that, to me, seems out-dated when it comes to pot.

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Sad, sad, sad news.

RIP, one of the greats.

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Mail.

Please. Games tonight and tomorrow and not a lot of time to putter so if you could get over to askdoug@thestar.ca and do your business soonest, I’d appreciate it.

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Okay, you knew this was gonna happen. Well, I did.

It would appear that the void left by the sad departure of Super Dog must be filled.

What do we know about cockadoodle-doos or cockapoos or whatever those little things are called?

Enlighten me, Irregulars.

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Quiet day around the HOTH, only some chatter about the kiddie centres that yielded this to go along with the weekly offerings of Nothin’ But Net.

Since they hold this information so close to their vest, I don’t know how much stock to put in it but we were told both Valanciunas and Ross did a little work yesterday but are still listed as “questionable” going into tonight’s game here in Charlotte.

We know Dwane will have options at centre but it’s likely going to be again the role of Norm Powell to finish out the game. It wouldn’t be unusual since he’s done it about every game since the night in Washington and it does give them a lot of different options.

We saw it the other night when they were able to throw Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph and Norm at Russell Westbrook and I bet each of them gets a bit of time on Kemba Walker this evening.

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I am one of the lucky souls among us not to have been touched personally by war. Our family was able to miss conflicts simply by time and age, Super Dad did not have to fight in a war, neither did a grandfather and for that I am forever thankful.

But to all those who were affected by it, to those who lost loved ones they may never have known, men and women who put their lives on the line in service of their country, we say thank you.

Never forget.

Ever.