Can you buy weed with food stamps?

The number of families across the US who depend on welfare programs like food stamps to make ends meet has increased since the pandemic’s impact on the economy. For many people, these short-term benefits are a lifesaver, but many people who don’t receive them are concerned about how food stamps are being used, since funding for this program is taken directly from taxpayers’ wallets.

We’ve all seen viral videos showing parents using grocery stamps to buy things normally thought of as luxuries like lobster and steak, but what about marijuana products? Some individuals have been outraged by recent rumors that some recipients are using this type of aid to pay for recreational cannabis.

The idea that SNAP and marijuana might be getting together first surfaced in a satirical article published in 2014, and the same topic has been popping up ever since. This play was a fiction that is as untrue today as it was then.

WHAT ARE FOOD STAMPS

Grocery stamps are a federal system that helps low-income people and families pay for groceries. The program gets its name because participants were once given a set number of stamps that could be exchanged for cash at participating stores to purchase groceries. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the name of the current version of the food stamp program. Credits will be applied to government-issued EBT cards, which SNAP participants can use just like debit cards to purchase items at food vendors.

Benefits can be used on all foods in a household, including vegetables, fruits, poultry, bread, meat, dairy, fish, milk products, snack foods, grains and soft drinks, seeds and plants that grow food for cultivation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which monitors SNAP, to eat at home.

However, goods such as pet food, cleaning products, personal care products, cosmetics, cigarettes, alcohol, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and alcoholic beverages are expressly excluded from recycling.

It seems reasonable to conclude that if people were prohibited from taking advantage of the benefits of buying drugs, alcohol or cigarettes, marijuana and related items would also be excluded.

The USDA CONSIDERS CANNABIS AND HEMP TO BE DIFFERENT

The USDA distinguishes between hemp, which is legal under federal law, and cannabis, which is not (although it must contain no more than 0.3% THC). The government states that while hemp plants, shoots and leaves are banned, edibles containing shelled hemp seeds, hemp seed oil and hemp seed protein powder can be purchased with SNAP benefits.”

The statement continues: edibles containing marijuana-derived products such as CBD and other restricted substances may not be purchased with SNAP support.”

SNAP’s dos and don’ts are essentially repeated on a Colorado government website that legalizes recreational and medical marijuana use. For its part, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services provides a fact sheet about its financial assistance and food benefits.

For financial assistance, it is unlawful to purchase cigarettes, tobacco, or alcoholic products or services from breweries or wineries unless the seller is a SNAP dealer, as well as from entities that prohibit sale to minors, such as B. a cannabis store. It is unlawful to exchange food benefits or purchased food for anything of value, including cash, drugs or weapons, or to use food benefits for any purpose other than food for eligible household members.

CANNABIS IS STILL ILLEGAL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL

Federal law still prohibits the use of cannabis, and SNAP is a federal program. Data sheet from the Drug Enforcement Administration: “There is a high likelihood of abuse, no medically approved use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of recognized safety for use under the supervision of a physician.” This substance is listed as a drug under the Controlled Substances Act 1 classified. The fact sheet points out that while some states in the US have legalized the use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes, the federal agency for approving drugs for medical use in the US rests with the US Food and Drug Administration.

Services had to adapt if they were to continue receiving federal funding, even in states that legalized recreational marijuana use.

Two years ago, when the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) memo informed residents of state-subsidized homes that they would not be allowed to use cannabis in their homes after legalization, for example, homeowners in Chicago were shocked.

However, in response, the CHA changed its initial policy and now allows cannabis-related complaints to result in a scenario-based review of relevant information.

According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, in 2020 the federal government said it would stop funding programs for young people with mental health problems in Maine because of the state’s legalization of medical marijuana.

USE OF DEBIT CARDS TO PURCHASE ELIGIBLE SNAP ITEMS

Because the benefits are now transferred to a government-issued debit card, rather than coupons as was the case in the past, the point of sale will decide which SNAP-acceptable merchandise will be used. According to the government, a SNAP participant can use SNAP funds to purchase groceries from retailers that have received SNAP approval through the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system.

While California has legalized cannabis, the state also lists a number of companies that cannot accept EBT cash payments. Not surprisingly, some of these establishments include casinos, adult entertainment venues, bail bondsmen, racetracks, and gun and marijuana stores.

Earlier this year, a frustrated Quora commenter let loose, perhaps fed up with the constant discussion about food aid and marijuana.

You must pay cash in any state where cannabis is legal or legal for medical use. Credit or debit cards are not accepted,” he explained. “EBT cards would certainly not be accepted.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program also provides participants with a debit card that can be used to withdraw money from ATMs, according to The Fresh Toast. That leaves the prospect of some customers using cash to buy marijuana.

FINAL EFFECT

According to the US Department of Agriculture, edible stamps are not eligible to purchase cannabis items because they are not classified as ordinary edibles. And it is considered illegal to attempt to use your food stamps to purchase such items, or in exchange for such items, since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level and food stamps are subject to a federal program.

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