Drug War: 20 Years for Selling Two Pills of Oxycontin

Last week, 27-year old Travis Johnson of Warsaw Indiana was sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling two pills of Oxycontin to an informant, according to this article by Jen Gibson of the local Times-Union. The steep sentence seems to have been prompted by "aggravating circumstances." All the cited ones have to do with drugs: "prior convictions for possession of marijuana and cocaine, possession of controlled substances and other charges. "

20 years is a long time. 20 years ago the Internet's domain name system was brand new, Mikhail Gorbachev wasn't yet the leader of the Soviet Union, and the blood supply wasn't yet being tested for the HIV virus. A zygote becomes an adult in 20 years, with time to spare. 20 years is 80% of the sentence given to Alice Sebold's rapist. 20 years is more life than some of the soldiers dying in Iraq have seen.

Prescription drugs should be prescription drugs. I'm sure Oxycontin can be dangerous. But 20 years is a long time.