What would you do if your child could die at any moment from seizures? What would you do if you had tried everything to save him? Brain surgeries, medical implants, performing CPR to keep their body going until this devastating condition released its hold long enough to allow him to breath again?

A Georgia father has been fighting this battle to save his son for 15 years. Now, he is undertaking a simple act of protest against the state that still prohibits research into the one substance that could make a difference in his son’s life: cannabis.

The Long Fight

Clark Buffington age 7, 2002, before brain surgery

“Compared to many others, my son’s been lucky. He’s had the care of the best epilepsy doctors in the nation. He’s consulted with experts in Boston, Montreal, Detroit, Atlanta and New York. We’ve corresponded with doctors from other countries. He’s tried every one of the drugs currently available for his kind of seizures. He’s been considered for every known available treatment approved in this country”. – Mike Buffington

Clark’s first seizure was 15 years ago at the age of 6. On an MRI, his left frontal lobe is riddled with small holes, where his seizures originate; there is no medical name for his condition. He has had two sections of his brain removed, the second surgery causing a major speech problem that took months to overcome. A stimulator implanted into his brain sends electricity coursing through his skull every 30 seconds. None of these have stopped his seizures. Doctors even recommended removing the entire left hemisphere of his brain.

Now 21 years old, Clark must be monitored 24/7 in case he has a seizure, many of which become status, unable to stop on their own.

A Seed Of Discontent

Mike Buffington, Clark’s father, has looked on in hope as other parents have found relief for their children in medical cannabis oil rich in CBD. He had hopes that Georgia would come to the aid of its citizens and allow it to be produced in the state. Last year, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill allowing citizens to possess up to 20 oz. of CBD for medical use.

In their folly, however, they never made it legal to grow marijuana for medical purposes or allow the manufacture of the oil in the state. This leaves the desperate patients in a Catch-22. In order to get the oil they have to obtain it out of state and transport it across state lines, making them Federal criminals. In order to obtain it out of state, they have to be residents of the state that they get it from. Which means, they might as well move permanently.

Growing Protest

As an act of civil disobedience, calling attention to the plight of medical cannabis patients everywhere, and those who desperately need to be, Mike has decided to grow a single plant in his home and Livestream the process.

Originally Mike planned to grow from bag seed, which is readily available in Georgia since prohibition has done little to stop residents from consuming marijuana. Instead, he ordered a CBD-rich strain, similar to what would be used to make the medicine for his son.

“And so, as a simple act of civil disobedience, I will put the seed of an evil marijuana plant into a pot of dirt. This spring, I will water it and watch it grow on my sunny front porch.

That one plant may not help my son today, but it will keep alive my hope that someday Georgia’s leaders will take off their blinders and allow medical research on a simple green plant that might help him, and others, in the future”.

You can follow the growth of Mike Buffington’s seedling here, as well as read more about his story.

What do you think about Mike’s act of civil disobedience? Should we all grow a plant to voice our support for medical research? If everyone grew cannabis, could the government really stop us, or would it finally signal the end of prohibition? Drop us a line on social media or leave us a message in the comments section below.