Between 2021 - 2022, national settlements were reached with opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, CVS/Walgreens, Tevis and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. These settlements will bring more than $300 million into Minnesota over the next 18 years to fight the opioid crisis. In December 2022, the Attorney General’s Office joined five additional multistate settlements worth $20.4 billion with major opioid manufacturers Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan, and three of the nation’s largest retail pharmacy chains—Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. According to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, Minnesota’s share of these settlements could be around $235 million. Carlton County will receive approximately 3.6 million dollars over the 18-year period. In 2023, Carlton County successfully funded three areas with the settlement dollars: treatment, prevention, and other strategies (research and evaluation). On April 9, 2024, the Carlton County Board of Commissioners approved the workplan and budget for the second year of the funding. The Carlton County Board of Commissioners approved funds to be spent in the following areas: treatment, prevention, harm reduction, leadership/planning/coordination, and other strategies (research and evaluation).
