Ant problems

Hi guys, I have ants that are climbing one of my plants in veg (outdoors, I'm in Southern Hemisphere) and cutting the leaves off.

I topped my plant, but the ants have removed the new tops while they were still small. Does this mean that my plant is definitively dead because it has no points to continue growing upward?

My other question is how to prevent them from spreading to the rest of my crop! I've been applying the usual slew of online remedies religiously, but none of them worked: spraying with white vinegar, applying cinnamon to and around the plant, a circle of turmeric powder and cornmeal, drenching the plant in a cinnamon/water infusion. Nothing has worked in the last day or so, and I'm now in the process of trying to get neem oil.

Here's a pic of my poor girl. Assuming I keep the ants from doing much more damage, what can I do to keep her growing once she recovers from shock? (if that is even possible at this point)

ants farm aphids on marijuana plants. I've seen ants lay eggs in my soil pots. they die easy.
Aphids will suck the life out of marijuanas.
locate yours and eradicate them. ants will spread the aphids and disease to other plants
but concentrate on killing the aphids and the ants will leave.

the ants suck the sweet marijuanas juices from the the asses of the aphid larvae, which are feeding on your hard work.

Hello, Hope all is better, But I can tell you if you put Ashes around the bottom of the plant ants will not cross those ash lines, not sure y maybe in their DNA, they just don't like it. Give it a try and let me know.
Good luck