Country songwriter charged with growing pot

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  — A country music songwriter and his wife have been charged with growing marijuana inside their home and possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms.

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Hal Bynum, 71, and Jan Bynum, 48, turned themselves in Wednesday and were released after posting $73,500 bail each, police said Thursday.

Bynum wrote the Kenny Rogers’ hit “Lucille” as well as songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Patty Loveless and Jim Reeves. His song “The Old, Old House” has been recorded by George Jones, Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, according to his Web site.

Acting on a tip, police said they began searching the house Tuesday night and found 256 pot plants, 7.5 pounds of harvested marijuana, 14 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, growing lamps and other drug paraphernalia.

The Bynums could not be reached by phone Thursday and they did not return an e-mail submitted through his Web site.

Authorities believe the couple has been growing marijuana for the past few years and were making several thousand dollars a month by selling it.

A 1998 Cadillac Deville and $5,000 in cash were seized from the home.