By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer

The North Carolina Legislature passes new laws every year designed to combat the latest crimes in the news, whether by child sex predators, meth manufacturers or those who commit domestic violence.

And efforts to lower sentences to free up more prison beds usually get tripped up by lawmakers who argue it would turn the state soft on crime.

So lawmakers will need some strong and repeated persuasion before considering a measure to legalize an old crime – smoking marijuana – even for a narrow purpose. Lawmakers took a very small step last week when a House committee held a hearing on a bill looking at whether lawmakers should study the use of the drug for medicinal purposes. (more…)