Colorado likely to ban Welfare cards at pot shops

Welfare money or food stamps for marijuana?

It’s an urban legend that won’t go away in Colorado, and state lawmakers this year are poised to pass a law clarifying that public benefit cards can’t be used at dispensary ATMs.

A bill facing its first hearing next week in the state Senate would add marijuana businesses and strip clubs to the list of Colorado businesses where public benefits cards can’t be used to withdraw cash. Liquor stores, casinos and gun stores are already banned.

The proposal bill failed last year amid concerns that dispensary ATMs may be the closest source of cash for some.

This year, Democrats say they support the idea. They say that adding dispensaries to the list may help avoid federal intervention.