The Pentagon has spent billions fighting the War on Drugs for over 30 years without requiring states to provide plans for how the money would be used, according to a scathing new government watchdog report.

At a Glance

• Pentagon has funded state War on Drugs efforts for over 30 years, but hasn’t required state plans for the past decade
• Since 1989, Congress has allocated billions to the Department of Defense for National Guard drug interdiction activities
• The National Guard hasn’t updated its guidance to state agencies since 2014
• Current funding priorities remain focused on marijuana despite the opioid epidemic being a more pressing threat
• GAO criticizes the Pentagon’s outdated drug strategy that fails to address current drug threats

Decades of Funding Without Accountability

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has revealed a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement in the Pentagon’s approach to fighting America’s drug war. For the past decade, the Department of Defense has distributed billions of dollars to states for anti-drug operations without requiring proper planning documentation, despite congressional mandates. This lack of oversight represents a significant departure from established protocols that previously required states to submit comprehensive strategies before receiving federal funds.

“Since 1989, Congress has provided billions of dollars to the Department of Defense to fund the National Guard’s participation in domestic drug interdiction and counterdrug activities,” a new report from the GAO said. “Since at least 2009, DOD has provided funding to the states without first approving state plans for counterdrug activities, as required by statute.”

This funding stream began in 1989 when Congress first authorized the Pentagon to support the National Guard’s domestic drug interdiction and counterdrug activities. The program was intended to create a coordinated response to drug trafficking, with the National Guard serving as a crucial link between federal resources and local law enforcement agencies. However, the absence of proper oversight has allowed the program to drift from its intended purpose.

Outdated Guidance and Misaligned Priorities

Perhaps more concerning than the lack of financial accountability is the complete absence of updated operational guidance. The National Guard, which is tasked with coordinating these anti-drug efforts at the state level, has failed to provide updated direction to participating agencies since 2014, leaving states to operate with outdated protocols that don’t address current drug threats facing American communities.

“In 2014, the National Guard rescinded its guidance for states on how to operate and administer the program—and hasn’t replaced it yet,” the GAO said.

This leadership vacuum has resulted in inconsistent enforcement practices across states, with many agencies continuing to prioritize marijuana interdiction despite the nationwide opioid crisis claiming thousands of American lives annually. The misalignment between current threats and operational focus represents a significant failure in adapting to the evolving drug landscape, particularly as many states have legalized or decriminalized cannabis while synthetic opioids have become increasingly deadly.

Failure to Address the Opioid Crisis

The GAO report specifically criticizes the Pentagon’s drug strategy for failing to pivot toward addressing the domestic opioid epidemic. Despite overwhelming evidence that prescription drug abuse, heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl represent the most pressing drug threats to American communities, the military’s counterdrug programs remain fixated on marijuana interdiction efforts that date back to the program’s inception in the late 1980s.

A prime example of this strategic disconnect occurred in Oklahoma, a recipient of Pentagon drug war funding, where authorities conducted a major cannabis raid only to discover the plants were industrial hemp—a crop that is now federally legal. Such enforcement actions demonstrate how resources continue to be directed toward outdated priorities rather than addressing the substances causing the most significant harm to American communities.

Calls for Reform and Accountability

The GAO’s findings suggest an urgent need for reform in how Pentagon drug war funds are distributed and utilized. With billions of taxpayer dollars at stake and the opioid crisis continuing to devastate communities across America, policy experts argue that greater accountability and strategic alignment are essential. The current system, which distributes funds without requiring plans and operates without updated guidance, fails to address the most pressing drug threats facing the nation.

As Congress continues to appropriate funds for these programs, the report raises serious questions about whether taxpayer dollars are being effectively used to combat the drug threats that pose the greatest danger to American communities. Without significant reforms to ensure proper planning, oversight, and strategic alignment, the Pentagon’s drug war funding risks becoming yet another example of well-intentioned government spending that fails to achieve its core objectives.