Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford is making headlines with his call for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to reverse its recent policy change regarding past marijuana use for Border Patrol agent recruits. In a letter addressed to Troy A. Miller, the senior official performing the duties of the CBP commissioner, Sen. Lankford urged the agency to “rescind this policy and restore the two-year lookback on marijuana usage among Border Patrol recruits.”
The senator expressed concern that the reduction in the marijuana policy undermines the security and integrity of the Border Patrol workforce and goes against the agency’s mission to protect the nation against illegal drugs. The current CBP policy prohibits applicants from having used marijuana within the 90 days prior to applying to work for the agency, a significant change from the previous two-year lookback period.
Sen. Lankford’s office revealed that the policy shift from two years to 90 days occurred within the past few months, although CBP did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital by press time. The senator’s staff was briefed by the agency last month on the policy amendment, which CBP reportedly justified by citing confusion between federal law and state law in states where marijuana has been legalized.
As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Governmental Operations and Border Management, Sen. Lankford emphasized the importance of CBP ensuring its personnel comply with federal law regarding controlled substances. He raised concerns that recruits who disclose past marijuana usage during polygraph tests often admit to other disqualifying criminal conduct, which could compromise the agency’s mission to combat illicit drugs and illegal immigration.
The senator highlighted the potential security and integrity issues posed by the policy change, noting that it could increase the risk of recruits having ties to transnational criminal organizations. Sen. Lankford’s call for CBP to revert to the previous two-year lookback period on marijuana usage reflects his commitment to upholding the agency’s mission and safeguarding the nation’s borders.
