I was unaware of the fact that welfare cheques use some kind of special dollars which are restricted in what products or services they can be used for. If you are talking about food stamps, they are not restricted in where or what they can be used for, only in that they can only be used for food.

(I hope we can avoid getting into a political argument about this.)

"Can only be used for food" is a restriction, but indeed not one that goes beyond "food stamps are for food" which isn't obviously a crazy principle.

But some places go further. In Kansas this (which takes effect in July of this year) http://kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/documents/hb22... says:

> No TANF cash assistance shall be used in any retail liquor store, casino, gaming establishment, jewelry store, tattoo parlor, massage parlor, body piercing parlor, spa, nail salon, lingerie shop, tobacco paraphernalia store, vapor cigarette store, psychic or fortune telling business, bail bond company, video arcade, movie theater, swimming pool, cruise ship, theme park, dog or horse racing facility, parimutuel facility, or sexually oriented business or any retail establishment which provides adult-oriented entertainment in which performers disrobe or perform in an unclothed state for entertainment, or in any business or retail establishment where minors under age 18 are not permitted. TANF cash assistance transactions for cash withdrawals from automated teller machines shall be limited to $25 per transaction and to one transaction per day. No TANF cash assistance shall be used for purchases at points of sale outside the state of Kansas.

(Note that TANF is not the same thing as "food stamps".)

In Missouri this bill http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills151/billpdf/intro/... is awaiting discussion (I have no idea how likely it is to pass). It would forbid the use of SNAP (which is the same as "food stamps") for "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood, or steak".