Excerpt:
David Welch, one of Weare's fellow members on the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, understands the concerns of decriminalization critics but the Kingston Republican believes it's time to talk — especially about the long-term potential harm to young people caught in the capricious nature of the criminal justice system.
Welch said that "young people do a lot of foolish things" and that a misdemeanor record for possessing a small amount of marijuana can haunt someone for life. They can be banned from scholarships and federal Pell grants — or even from serving as a police officer and in the armed forces.
"It's a debate we need," the 12-term legislator told Seacoast Sunday. "It's about time we had a discussion about marijuana use on the floor of the House."
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