Don't judge me.

Let's break down some stereotypes, children.
Canadians aren't always nice.
Americans aren't all war-mongers.
Germans aren't all Nazis.
White folk aren't all prudes.
Black folk aren't all gangsters.
Chinese, Japanese and Koreans have different cultures.
Men aren't always the hero.
Women aren't always damsels in distress.
Cannabis users aren't all dumb, lazy ne'er-do-wells.

Let's elaborate on that last point, shall we?

I am not a surfer or a rapper. I don't call my friends "dude" and "bro." I am not stupid or lazy. I am not a D-student. I am not a juvenile delinquent. I do not sell my possessions for marijuana. I don't laugh incessantly at bad jokes, or pass out when I smoke.

Now I'm not saying, by any means, that there are no surfing, rapping, stupid, lazy, D-student, delinquent, out of control, marijuana-users out there. Because there are. I call them stoners. Because when they smoke, they become as retarded as a rock.

I myself, am a pothead. I have a job. I do it well. I enjoy it. Have I smoked weed before work? Hell, yes. I worked the 7-11 midnight shift. I smoked before that shift. Hell, I smoked during that shift. And let me tell you, that store would be spic-and-span clean by 7am. I left 7-11 to work at a call center that handled technical support for Americans having troubles with their MacBooks and their iBooks and their Powerbooks and their iPhones. Talking to angry Americans all day sometimes required a little extra calm, so yes, I smoked before my shift there as well. My stats in that office were fantastic. Customer feedback was always positive, my call resolution was always high, and I was frequently complimented for my patience and friendly attitude. I ended up leaving that job without another lined up, due to the fact that it was soul-destroying. But that's a whole other story.

I go to school. I like school. I am an A-student. I take my studies seriously. Have I smoked weed before class? Hell, yes. Friday afternoon, 2pm-5pm, is my film lab. We watch a movie. We note styles and structures. I find smoking a quick bowl in my car beforehand gives me an insightful boost. Little known fact: one can be thoughtful, insightful and spiritual, and still smoke weed.

I am not lazy. I have my days where all I want to do is lay around, watching movies, and doing nothing in particular, but everyone has those days. What do I tend to do after smoking? I go grocery shopping. I clean my apartment. I do yoga. I go for a walk. I read my assigned chapters for class. I get shit done.

Sometimes I chill and watch a movie. Sometimes I'll sit and read a book. Often I'll have introspective discussions with my friends about life and love, about stereotypes, about history, about human relations and human interaction. Many of these conversations result in my saying "I should really start carrying a notebook around so I can write down these revelations."

Often I will simply drive. I'll head out to the back roads, I'll smoke my bowl, and I'll drive. I relax, I think, I philosophize, I get in touch with my inner self. I sing, I develop creative ideas and plans for the future, I take in the look, the sound, the smell of everything around me, and I see beauty where I never saw it before and, in these instances, I pull over, grab my camera, and take a photo:


I guess the whole point is:
a) Don't negatively stereotype people who smoke weed.
b) Some of you stoners out there need to stop giving weed a bad name.

Thanks.