Nevada has agreed to join a proposed nationwide settlement worth up to $26 billion resolving claims that three large U.S. drug distributors and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson fueled a deadly opioid epidemic, the state’s attorney general said on Tuesday. Nevada was one of a handful of states that until now was not participating in the landmark accord that would resolve thousands of opioid lawsuits against J&J, McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health Inc <CAH.N>.[nL1N2Q60H4] The announcement came after the settlement’s backers agreed to extend to Jan. 26 a deadline for cities and counties in states that backed the proposal to opt-in to the settlements, citing the potential for more states to join. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford in a statement said he was optimistic the state’s local governments would join the settlements, allowing the state to receive more than $285 million. “There is no question that the opioid …