Enjointment on a student budget

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Photo credit: Yajaira Tejeda

Budgeting in college is something students eventually learn to do throughout their college years. Deciding what gets spent on food, bills, rent and other necessities. For some, leaving a bit of extra money for marijuana becomes another necessity to factor in.

Roy Castellanos, a first-year art major spends about $500 to $600 on marijuana per month. He regularly purchases a medium mason jar with three ounces of sativa marijuana to make him feel active and motivated to draw.

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Roy Castellanos Photo credit: Yajaira Tejeda

But the medium mason jar does not last Castellanos’ two friends and himself more than a week.

“We think about marijuana as an internet bill. It’s in my budget,” Castellanos said.

Marvin Garcia, a first-year finance major, also prefers purchasing sativa marijuana because it makes him more active. Marijuana sales in Los Angeles are way more expensive compared to Chico, Garcia said.

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Marvin Garcia

“Ten dollars per gram, $80 or $70 a quarter, full ounce $280 (in Los Angeles). Here (in Chico) an ounce instead of $280, you get it around $140,” Garcia said.

Castellanos and Garcia both prefer buying their marijuana back in Los Angeles. Although it may be pricier, they said the quality and texture to it is better rather than what’s sold in Chico.

Meanwhile, some students obtain a medical marijuana card and purchase from dispensaries.

Syanne Park, a second-year student exercise physiology major, has a medical card and purchases her marijuana from a dispensary. It is much cleaner and comes with a description of what was purchased inside and a warning of the effects. For Park, getting a medical card was easy.

“The process was very easy. Within a matter of 30 minutes, I had my card,” Park said. “The questions they ask you are point blank like do you have a medical condition. If I had ADD or ADHD, he was just kind of throwing it out there.”

Yajaira Tejeda can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.