Mass. legislator calls for law banning EBT use for marijuana

BOSTON — There are several loopholes that have come to prominence since the legalization of recreational marijuana, but one thing some lawmakers want to make sure never happens is the purchase of marijuana with EBT cards.

For years, State Rep. Shauna O’Connell has been fighting EBT abuse.

"I want to be proactive in protecting funds for people who really need them and protecting taxpayers’ dollars,” she said.

O'Connell was behind a bill that is now law that prevented people from using their EBT card to buy alcohol tobacco and lottery tickets.

"We saw this go on for years because it was not illegal to use your money for that,” she said.

But not everyone agrees with her logic.

“If they truly need that and it supports their way of life then they can use their EBT cards for that,” John Latessa from Boston said.

Regardless, Rep. O'Connell thinks money and programs for needy families should not be used to buy pot.

"We always want to be proactive to close these loopholes and stop fraud and abuse because these are important programs that help people,” she said.

Cox Media Group