http://hotair.com/archives/2014/01/12/colorado-bill-may-prevent-use-of-food-stamps-money-to-buy-pot-wait-what/Colorado bill may prevent use of food stamps money to buy pot. Wait… what?
posted at 2:01 pm on January 12, 2014 by Jazz Shaw
Admit it… when Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, some of you thought that the entire state had taken leave of its senses and the population was already well on its way to sinking into a Cheetos filled haze of confusion. But apparently there are still some sane – or at least somewhat less stoned – heads doing business out there. A bill is under consideration which would prevent make it somewhat more difficult to use cash from food stamps cards to buy pot. (You mean they can do that?) The details from Townhall.
A bill proposed this week by several Republicans would add marijuana dispensaries to liquor stores, gun shops and casinos as places where recipients of public assistance payments and food stamps can’t use their electronic benefits cards to access cash.
There haven’t been any reports of public EBT cards being used at marijuana dispensaries. But lawmakers say pot shops should be added to the law to make clear it’s not legal.
“We need this bill, if for nothing else, as a statement,” said Rep. Jared Wright, R-Grand Junction.
“We shouldn’t be enabling anyone to buy a substance that is banned under federal law. It’s not a good use of taxpayer money,” he said.
Of course, as Daniel Doherty points out, it’s not exactly a fool proof plan.
Presumably, EBT card recipients could still take out cash elsewhere — and then go and buy pot. (I hope I’m not giving anyone any ideas). But at least this kind of a law would prohibit them from flagrantly ripping off taxpayers, by making it illegal to withdraw government cash inside marijuana dispensaries.
That’s got to count for something, no?
We don’t want to just dismiss this plan out of hand and throw the baby out with the bong water here, guys. Okay, so in theory the pot smoker could grab some cash at the Piggly Wiggly and then head on down to Ye Olde Pot Shoppe, but consider the sequential thinking and planning that would be required to pull that off. Once they have the cash in hand they would probably have to walk past the inevitable snack food impulse purchase racks which stores always put near the checkout counters. The rows of Ho-Hos, Little Debby’s and (non-medicinal) brownies would probably be too much to resist. Before you know it the cash is gone and then they have to start the process all over again.
Ah, Colorado. If nothing else, you’ll provide a huge boon to bored bloggers for years to come. And for that, America thanks you.
