Originally Posted by
NavSTL
Holy sweet muppety Zeus, what terrible advice. The answer to ANY question put to you by a federal officer, if you don't like where the conversation is headed, is the truth or silence. You do not know what information CBP is working off of, and material misrepresentation is a much more durable form of forever ban than a minor, ancient-history drug offense is. Literally being caught with a joint in your pocket at the inspection is less likely to result in a permanent ban.
That might be true for an American returning to the U.S. or a Canadian returning to his own country but it is dead wrong if you are a visitor. Not answering a CBP question can result in a denial of entry if you are not a U.S. citizen. If it's not on the public record the answer is a firm no.