Michigan To Receive Nearly $800 Million In Opioid Settlement

(CBS Detroit) -- The state of Michigan is expected to receive nearly $800 million of a $26 billion opioid settlement with the nation's three pharmaceutical distributors.

State Attorney General Dana Nessel said the settlement will equip the communities across Michigan with resources to better address the opioid crisis and to support abatement efforts.

The settlement was with distributors Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – and opioid manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson. The national agreement marked the culmination of three years of negotiations to resolve more than 4,000 claims of state and local governments across the country.

Fifty-two states and territories signed on to the agreement as well as thousands of local governments across the country, officials said in February.

"I took legal action once I took office to try to recoup money for the devastating impact that the opioid epidemic has had on the communities across our state," Nessel said.

"I know that no amount of money will make whole the thousands of Michigan families impacted by opioids, but this is an important victory in a hard-fought battle."

Officials said funds will be released to a national administrator on April 2. Money will then be going to state and local governments in the second and third quarters of 2022.