Weed & Welfare
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, October 10, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
The Department of Health and Human Services claims it’s perfectly legal to use EBT cards to buy marijuana. EBT cards provide electronic benefit transfers to food stamp recipients. So, the Department of Health and Human Services is telling us that recipients of welfare can use food stamps to buy an illegal, dangerous, debilitating, delusion producing, brain-damaging substance that destroys lives and law-abiding citizens are stuck with the tab.
The HHS decision was prompted because welfare recipients in Colorado can withdraw cash with EBT cards and trot down to local retail stores or dispensaries to buy marijuana joints.
HHS Secretary Burrell said, “We understand that legislators in Colorado have already explored prohibiting EBT withdrawals at retail marijuana shops and medical-marijuana dispensaries,” but claims federal regulations provide no wiggle room to stop their use for weed, although EBT funds are prohibited in liquor stores, gun stores, strip clubs, and casinos. On September 9th Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama released a statement comparing HHS’s positive stance toward marijuana and the agency’s regulation against using EBT cards for alcohol, gambling, buying guns and ogling women. Then, Senator Sessions said, “I intend to introduce legislation to address this problem. Once the loophole is closed, I will also be following up with HHS to make sure they are taking the steps necessary to stop this dangerous misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits.”
So, here’s the dilemma in Georgia. In 2012 the Georgia General Assembly passed H.B. 861 to establish drug testing for each person applying for TANF, which is temporary assistance to needy families, i.e. welfare benefits. Meaning, applicants that test positive for controlled substances do NOT qualify for welfare benefits in Georgia, and recipients who test positive will have benefits withheld until they test negative on a future test. On March 7, 2012, H.B. 861 passed the House 114 to 59 and on March 27th the Senate passed it 36 to 15.
However, in a two-parent family, one parent testing positive will NOT prevent the other parent from applying for and qualifying for food stamps, since only one parent must pass the drug test. Teen parents must personally comply with the required drug test, if they don’t live with their parent, legal guardian or other caretaker who is an adult relative.
This is an extremely important issue here in Georgia, where a special study committee is meeting across the state to design a medical marijuana bill for next session. They INTEND to introduce a bill, but it MUST be so tightly written that the situations in Colorado and California CANNOT be replicated in Georgia. During a three-hour meeting this month the medical marijuana study committee was stunned by the frank testimony of various officials in law enforcement. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised and grateful for their position. Next week, I’ll tell you what they said. For Georgia Insight, I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.