Story highlights The change to the drug policy is an acknowledgment that marijuana is more prevalent in today's society

It's a shift that puts the force in line with other federal law enforcement agencies

(CNN) The Secret Service is relaxing its drug policy for potential hires, as its new director, Randolph Alles, laid out a plan to swell the agency's ranks by more than 3,000 in the coming years.

Speaking Thursday to reporters in his first press briefing since his appointment, Alles, 38 days into his new job, described a force of "very dedicated" agents facing near unsustainable levels of round-the-clock protective coverage.

The change to the drug policy, which went into effect in the past month, is an acknowledgment that marijuana is more prevalent in today's society, officials said, and will allow for a younger generation of applicants, many of whom have experimented with the drug when they were teenagers, access to the hiring process.

Following a "whole-person concept" in hiring, the Secret Service will no longer disqualify an applicant who has used marijuana more than a certain number of times, instead potentially allowing a candidate who admits to using the drug, taking into consideration the time between his or her last use and their application to the agency.

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It's a shift that puts the force in line with other federal law enforcement agencies, the agency said.

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