Should EBT cards be used to purchase marijuana in the state of Massachusetts, now that it's legal? The Boston Herald reported that there have been 34 reported attempts by EBT card holders to purchase marijuana paraphernalia in the state. The state had a system in place where the cards were blocked from being used towards those types of purchases. VB and Waffles are surprised this was in place, given the backlog of driving violations at the RMV; they are backlogged there but have a system in place where the EBT cards are blocked from being used at the new pot shops? YUP. This might come as a surprise for some but the Department of Transitional Assistance is familiar with people abusing the system and seemed to have prepared for this type of abuse. In all of the 22 legal pot shops across the state where there are ATM machines, the DTA set up detection systems in those ATMs that detect when an EBT card user tries to withdraw money from a machine inside a pot shop. Abuse in the past has included cash from the EBT account being used for jail bail, tattoos, barber shops, and other luxury type purchases.
The question we're asking is whether you think this policy will change in the future? Will the DTA change their rules and start allowing card holders to purchase weed?
I personally don't think EBT card users using their cards to purchase things like marijuana or alcohol, is a good idea. I understand we start getting into a difficult area where we're policing people on what they should or should not buy and should and should not eat or par-take in. These products like weed, alcohol or even junk food may not be great for you and people have their opinions on it but these products are indeed legal so who are we to tell others what they can and cannot eat or use. However we the tax paying citizens are paying into the system and the government is using our money to fund these programs so there is an argument that we have a say in what our money is used towards. What do you think? To read more about this reporting, visit the Boston Herald's website on this article, HERE.
-Producer Lightning