POPPY PLEA

Fearing a long prison sentence, Arroyo Grande residents Tom Dunbar and
Jo-D Harrison have accepted a plea bargain that will give him a
six-month jail sentence and her a one-year informal probation.

The couple - featured in our "The Poppy Paradox" article of Nov. 19,
1998 - were raided last May by the Narcotics Task Force, which found
an indoor marijuana growing operation and 200 opium poppy plants in
the back yard.

All other charges were dropped in exchange for Dunbar's "no contest"
plea to possession of opium and Harrison's plea to possession of more
than an ounce of marijuana(despite the fact that Dunbar, a legal
medical marijuana user, had posted a sign in the home indicating all
the pot plants were his).

Deputy District Attorney Dennis Schloss said the reason for pushing
the poppy charge against Dunbar, rather than the marijuana charges,
was because "It's a more serious crime."

The couple had said they would fight for their right to grow the
poppie - a legally available ornamental flower, despite its narcotic
potential - but decided to focus their energies on building a life
together. The couple got married Jan. 1.