You can’t buy alcoholic or tobacco products with an EBT card. The authorization computers are set up to reject that kind of purchase. I don’t think Rite Aid would take a chance on adjusting their checkout registers to show a purchase other than what the customer is buying. So something is wrong here, not sure what.
We’re in CA. It’s a lib bastion.
States have rules about purchases that vary widely. I thought states like California and New York had almost no restrictions. And some cash welfare is distributed by EBT cards with no restriction on purchases at all.
There is a 2012 federal prohibition on EBT use (TANF) in "liquor stores", but none AFAIK, on purchasing beer or wine in a supermarket like we have in my state. And cash can always be withdrawn and spent however. SNAP funds can not be used on any of the above and can not be withdrawn as cash.