# Plain Language Summary: Welfare for Needs not Weed Act

This bill would prevent people receiving welfare benefits from using their benefit cards at stores that sell marijuana. Specifically, it targets the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides cash assistance to low-income families. If this bill becomes law, the electronic benefit transfer cards used to access these welfare funds would be blocked from working at any retail location that sells marijuana, even if someone wanted to buy groceries or other non-marijuana items at that store.

The practical effect would be that if a store sells both groceries and marijuana—like some dispensaries or multi-purpose retailers in states where marijuana is legal—welfare recipients couldn't use their benefit cards there at all. They'd have to shop elsewhere, even if that store was more convenient or had better prices. This could be particularly challenging for people in rural areas or neighborhoods with limited shopping options, or in states where marijuana sales are becoming more common at general retailers.

The bill applies only to welfare cash assistance benefits, not to other programs like food stamps or Medicaid. It would take effect on October 1, 2022, if passed. The stated intent is to ensure welfare money goes toward basic needs rather than marijuana purchases, though critics might argue it could create practical hardships for low-income families trying to access any goods at stores that happen to sell marijuana alongside other products.

Welfare for Needs not Weed Act

Rice, Tom

Welfare for Needs not Weed Act This bill prohibits the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds on electronic benefit transfer transactions in any establishment that offers marijuana for sale.