EXETER — With the recent signing of a bill that legalizes the use of medical marijuana, some Exeter lawmakers say they would consider further legalization of the drug.

EXETER — With the recent signing of a bill that legalizes the use of medical marijuana, some Exeter lawmakers say they would consider further legalization of the drug.



State Rep. Frank Heffron, D-Exeter, said he supports the effort to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but doesn't know if or when there will be enough support in the Legislature to get such a bill passed.



"I think people should have the choice whether they use small amounts or not," Heffron said in response to questions last week. "We spend an awful lot of money and effort on prosecuting these things and the drug war doesn't seem to be working."



Heffron said the United States needs to rethink its drug policy, which he described as "a tremendous waste of money and waste of lives."



"It particularly affects minorities and young minorities," he said. "They are basically under siege."



Heffron said the country incarcerates a much higher percentage of its population for nonviolent drug crimes than other industrialized countries do.



"I think we should do what we can to stop the tremendous emphases on controlling things that people want to do," he said. "I know drugs do terrible damage, but I think the government has gone too far."



His comments came a week after Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill into law legalizing the use of medical marijuana in the Granite State.



State Rep. Donna Schlachman, D-Exeter, was the primary sponsor of the medical marijuana bill.



Schlachman said she supports the idea of decriminalizing marijuana in small amounts, primarily because of what can happen if a teenager or young adult is caught with marijuana.



"I support it to the extent that there are a lot of young people ending up with criminal records for what most people my age did when they were in college," she said.



She stressed she would never want to legalize hard drugs and understands that "we as a society are dealing with huge drug abuse issues."



She pointed to the abuse of prescription medication and heroin as examples.



She said some people see marijuana as a gateway drug, but she believes it's no different than alcohol, which is legal for people aged 21 and older to consume.



In terms of medical marijuana, Schlachman said it will likely be up to two years before the state writes the regulations needed for nonprofits to apply to dispense medical marijuana for people who need it to treat chronic pain or nausea that often comes from chemotherapy treatments.



"They're going to have to wait until the dispensaries are up and open," she said.



Exeter Police Chief Richard Kane declined to address the issue of medical marijuana or legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana when reached last week, but acknowledged he has opposed both in the past.



He pointed to a Facebook post he made about the issue before November's elections, which said allowing the use of medical marijuana would lead to more access for people who didn't need the drug for medical reasons, including younger people.



State Rep. Steven Briden, D-Exeter, said he would also support an effort to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.



"I think it makes sense in conjunction with the use of medical marijuana," Briden said.



He said he doesn't buy the argument that legalizing the drug will lead to more use by teenagers.



"It's still going to be illegal for kids to use, just like it's illegal for kids who are underage to drink alcohol," he said.