Marijuana Possession: Court Diversion

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Indiana

I was charged with marijuana possession < 30g.

A friend was also charged with the same about a month before.

He paid $500 for a lawyer who was able to get him a year of unsupervised probation through a diversion.

Will a public defender provide the same result, or do I need to cash out for the lawyer (which I honestly cannot afford at all)?

A public defender may well be able to achieve the same result. This is in the same court? If a public defender has been appointed to defend you, talk to your public defender and make your decision after the consultation.