ohnson & Johnson eventually succeeded in getting the DEA to exempt thebaine, a key ingredient in OxyContin, from the 80-20 rule. This change allowed for a significant increase in the importation of CPS-thebaine from Australia, which contributed to the expansion of the opioid supply and the subsequent crisis.

The expansion of the opioid supply was facilitated by the privatization of poppy fields. The US relies on imports of narcotic raw material, mainly from Turkey and India, to produce legal opioids. Johnson & Johnson, one of the certified importers, sought to change the regulations to allow for more imports from Australia, which would give them a competitive advantage. In the 1990s, Johnson & Johnson lobbied to undermine the "80-20" rule, which stipulated that at least 80% of the narcotic raw material imported into the US had to come from Turkey and India.