Missouri man hopes to convince state Supreme Court that 'farming' marijuana is legal

Mark Shanklin thinks he was well within his rights in June 2016 when a police officer knocked on his door after noting unusually high power usage at the St. Louis man's home.  Shanklin "...was covered in dirt or potting soil and reeked of marijuana" when Detective Gregory Klipsch asked him to talk, and he consented to a search after consulting with his wife, according to court documents. The state says a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tipped off local law enforcement.Inside, Klipsch found "...numerous potted plants of marijuana scattered throughout the residence along with lights and a pulley system," court documents say. "Headlights were affixed to the ceiling in some rooms and there was a table with lights and red Solo Cups with smaller marijuana plants."In addition to hundreds of plants, Shanklin had books on growing marijuana, a scale and cut cannabis inside various Tupperware containers.But Shanklin, through his attorney, contends that what he was doing should be considered perfectly legal. He argues that Missourians legalized growing marijuana in 2014 when voters passed a so-called "right-to-farm" amendment to the Missouri Constitution.As such, Shanklin argues the drug laws under which he was convicted are unconstitutional in their application to prohibit cannabis cultivation.