Nebraska Gov. Rejects Bid to Reform Rules Around Cannabis Use for Law Enforcement Applicants

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) has nixed a proposal that would have reduced the number of months that a law enforcement officer recruit could have used cannabis before training from 24 months to 12 months, the Nebraska Examiner reports. The new rules were proposed by the Police Standards Advisory Council, but Pillen said the reforms would be seen as “watering down” the standards. 

The council had recommended the changes as part of its effort to qualify applicants to work in law enforcement in Nebraska. 

In a letter last month rejecting the proposal, Pillen said he didn’t think it was “prudent” to adopt the change without data showing “a significant number” of applicants are being rejected due to the current drug-use standards, the report says.   

“It is therefore imperative that we have the necessary data before making a policy change that could be perceived as watering down the standards to become a law enforcement officer in the State of Nebraska.” — Pillen, in the letter, via the Examiner 

Brian Jackson, the president of the council and an assistant chief with the Lincoln Police Department, told the Examiner that he and others are working on obtaining and providing the necessary data to Pillen. The rules also disqualify applicants that have used a “dangerous drug” within the last five years. Jackson said that it was impossible to know how many people decided not to apply for law enforcement positions after learning about the drug use rules.