ontariogrows

Hi everyone.

This post is in fact a similar situation as MestUp7 is in, and i would like some useful advice on where to go from here. The background info:

My family is well-off, not rich, but my parents have always had the money to fullfill my material needs. I respect my father as he works hard every single day. He's pretty cool and my mother always wants the best for me. My older sister who is 20, has changed since her highschool years. She used to dye her hair every week, listen to screamo music that my parents hated but i guess her teenage angst? has passed as she improved her grades in grade 12 and was accepted to Laurier university (a well respected school). She has since then stopped partying as much(alcohol). As i learned when she confronted me about the bathroom(hotbox) i confessed i smoke weed and tried to explain why it isnt as bad as she thinks. She wanted nothing of it and i believe she overeeacted making my life seem like an episode of Intervention.

I myself, started working since i was 14 and have had about 5 jobs. I've always been an "average" student recieving 70's since i can remmeber. My report cards always tell my parents i should participate more and ask more questions but i have been deathly shy for my whole life and i refrain from appearing in the spotlight. Because of this, I just greet everyone with a smile and only when im with my friends or family can i act like myself. I feel i always put on a show for everyone else, acting extremely polite by default. Now, I'm 18 and graduating from high school this year. For the past 6 years of my life the only true passion(career related) has been filmmaking. I started edititng videos on my camcorder as a kid and now have spent thousands of dollars of my own money toward expensive computer parts and film equipment. I especially like computers and have found that a video editor career would suit me fine. I have been accepted in Humber college for a four year bachelor degree program for film and media production. This excites me and i can't wait to learn about something interesting as my high school only offers one course that relates to my field. I tried weed for the first time in grade 9 and started smoking weed almost everyday since grade 11 second semester. I love weed and i believe it has changed me for the better. I dont act any differently except for the way i think. If you saw me at work lets say, you would never think that i smoke weed. Only receently have i embraced my beliefs and now im a talking pro-legalization campaign to any highschool student that mentions weed. I also want to say that ever since i found this site, I have become extremely convinced of weed's positive impact. So this is where my troubles begin:


My parents first found my friend's bag of weeed in my car(i told them it was mine). They took my car and threatened to not pay for college. I try to keep my smoking away from them but a few months later my dad found some paper with some shake in it. He said since it was christmas time he wouldn't tell my mom(my mom has probly never smoked and she is distraught at the thought of me smoking weed). I think my dad tried it at least but now is firmly against it. Their arguements are the legality of it, the "gateway drug" reason, and the "lacing" issue. Then my mom told me at dinner one day that she found something that looked like drugs in the car. They didnt show me anyhting and so i denied it and was given a talk by my dad but there were no consequences. Now a few days ago, I guess i slipped up bad and they found the mother load. My dad had noticed it smelt like weed in the basment where i sleep, eat, watch tv. When i was at work on sunday, they found my bag which had some clothes in it. Underneath those clothes was my BELOVED and (it hurts to type this) much anticipated black silver surfer. They also found lighters, weed, and some alcohol. THEY ARE PISSED. They didn't blow up but agian sat me down in the living room and had a talk. I was pained because of the money i had lost and the ssv itself. I take full responsibility in either not hiding it well enough(although i had a good spot, i had taken it out previous and had not returned it back) or buying it in the first place. SOOO, i tried to explain it was helathier for me but they kept saying that the machine made me look like a pothead and a god damn pharmacy(?). This is where they take my life away(i obey the rules my parents give me except when it comes to weed): They took away the use of their cars. They took away the $3600 macbook pro until college( i paid for only half of it). They told me to once again to find new friends(they CANT STAND my friends, only because they smoke weed). They also informed me that i would be paying for my full education and that my curfew is 9? They recently gave me a job at the boston pizza restaurant they own(sunday was my first shift) and they told me i would have no access to my funds as it will all be going into a savings account for college(my mom does the payroll so i have no choice in the matter). And my dad has told me that this is killing my mom(not literally, but she gets really emotional and cries)

Anyway, i have setup the pc i bought and am using it to write this post. See, jsut like MestUp7, i totally disagree with their views on marijuana. BUT, ive always been close to my family, and even though im 18 and i spend tons of time with my friends, i still eat dinner with them almost every night and we have always had a close relationship. I am just so frustrated that just becasue i smoke weed, i am the outcast of the family. My dad tells me all they want for me is to not do drugs(weed i guess) but i cannot just leave a very important aspect of my life. Marijuana has taught me to be patient with others, forced to smoke outside has brought me to places of anture i will never foget and becasue of these places i truly realize that we should all stop and smell the roses, and while we do that we should also be enjoying the grass and the mountains and the sky, etc.

So thats about it, BTW, I will be staying in my basement for college as its 15 mins away and they agreed to give me the car, so they didnt have to pay for residence. This was before, and now i can't even save enough money to live on my own after my first year of college as i will be paying for my college(about7-8 grand a year)

I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice. Right now im laying low and havent smoked weed since saturday night. I gave my grinder and existing papers to my friends until i start smoking again.

EDIT: My parents also told me the next time they find out ive smoked weed, they will kick me out of the house.