Calling all weed smokers

Fun and fellowship are fine, but at what cost to your financial picture?

Photo by Simon Schwyter on Unsplash

I’ve been thinking about quitting smoking.

No, not cigarettes. I’ve never touched those. I’m talking about marijuana, one of my biggest money pitfalls.

But to those who still unashamedly celebrate, happy 4/20!

Today is the unofficial holiday for weed smokers everywhere. And there’s an interesting story behind how the annual — or daily if you prefer — celebration began.

Legend has it the phrase originated as the police code for “marijuana smoking in progress.” Its reach expanded when northern California residents adopted “4-20” as a nickname for weed. People then started partaking at 4:20 a.m. or p.m. Then, at a Grateful Dead concert in December 1990, a flier promoting a 4/20 gathering landed in the right hands. It ran in High Times magazine the following May. And here we are.

“The authors of the mysterious marijuana missive had a bigger mission in mind,” Steve Bloom, former editor of High Times and publisher of CelebStoner, wrote. “They wanted people all over the world to get together on one day each year and collectively smoke pot at the same time. They birthed the idea of a stoner holiday, which April 20 has become.”

My usage extends far beyond fun and fellowship.

Cannabis energizes me in the morning, much like I hear coffee-crazed people profess about the power of their beans. But I don’t drink coffee. It never suited my tastes. I’ve never had a cup or even stomached more than a few sips. Unlike your cool coffee beans, my magical plant relaxes me at night. I know many coffee drinkers reach for a different beverage for that.

Marijuana, like coffee, also helps me be productive. Sometimes I smoke and clean or fold clothes or knock out other household chores. I might take a rejuvenating walk on a warm-weather day. Or, whenever I inexcusably skip meals, smoking invariably spurs me to listen to my body and make myself something to eat. It’s taken maturity to transition from pigging out on anything to preparing healthy meals and snacking on fruits and vegetables.

I still get the munchies, although contrary to popular belief marijuana has helped me take better care of myself in many ways.

But it’s expensive.

The more I take charge of my money, the more fat I trim each month, the harder it becomes to ignore my remaining blemishes. Weed might now be my biggest non-essential (although arguable) expense.

Spitballing a soft estimate, I’d say I’ve spent upwards of $2,000 annually on marijuana over the past couple of years. That’s more than $166 a month I’m inhaling and exhaling. The tally for my last visit to the dispensary, on April 7: $250.69. Add another $44.71 I spent this month on paraphernalia: smoking cones (papers), a new vape pen and a pack of lighters.

I’ve located the cheapest weed prices I’ve ever seen. But the better the discount the more I buy. It’s a costly cycle I must be intentional about cutting out. I’ve found better uses for my disposable income. And I know now that I can’t afford to not be more deliberate with my spending.

I enjoy too many benefits to drop smoking immediately. But maybe I can cut back. Perhaps I’ll land on a happy medium where I don’t spend as much but still can have an occasional smoke. Change, however, must come.

Until my asset base is overflowing abundance, weed will be a financial liability. Fixing my foundation through actionable steps, such as attacking debt, adequately funding my emergency fund and annually maxing out my 401K and Roth IRA, takes precedence over a little puff-puff pass.

Weed isn’t going anywhere.

But today, we celebrate!