VLN® Products Launch in Nevada to Help Smokers Smoke Less

Terrible Herbst and Speedee Mart Selling VLN^® Reduced Nicotine Products in Approximately 200 Las Vegas Area Stores

FDA Authorized VLN^® Products Are Specifically Designed to Reduce the Harms of Smoking

BUFFALO, N.Y., June 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), a leading biotechnology company dedicated to improving health with reduced nicotine tobacco, hemp/cannabis and hops advanced plant technologies, today announced its FDA authorized VLN® reduced nicotine content cigarettes are now available in approximately 200 Las Vegas area Terrible Herbst and Speedee Mart convenience-stores (c-stores).

“At Terrible’s, we’re known for being ‘a deliberately different convenience store’,” said Mark Walters, Vice President, Purchasing & Sales of Terrible’s. “VLN® is a deliberately different cigarette – one that’s actually helping smokers reduce their nicotine intake – so it makes sense that we carry VLN® in our stores and help the brand meet smokers where they are, if they’re on a journey to cut back or quit.”

“We are excited to see a strong VLN^® launch at Terrible Herbst and Speedee Mart, two iconic Las Vegas c-store chains, as Las Vegas area smokers seek new ways to break their nicotine addiction and smoke less,” stated John Miller, president of tobacco products for 22nd Century Group. “Clinical research presented as part of our FDA authorization process demonstrates that switching to reduced nicotine products such as VLN^® can provide an ‘off-ramp’ to smokers, many of whom want to cut back and just need a new tool to help them achieve their goals.”

VLN^® availability is expanding rapidly, with sales or announced launches in 14 states to date. New stores are being added regularly, including a major upcoming expansion with a top national c-store chain adding VLN^® to almost 1,500 corporate stores across the three largest state markets – Texas, California and Florida – with franchise stores to follow.

“The Nevada launch is off to a fast start as we continue to scale availability with major retail chains like Terrible’s and Speedee. We now expect to exceed our original launch goal of 18 states in 2023 based on the strong demand for this innovative new solution.”

“VLN^® has shown exceptional product acceptance by adult smokers looking to reduce their habit. Multiple additional chains have committed to launch windows for the rest of the year, including convenience, truck stop, military and drug store leaders, as we work to make VLN^® widely available as an alternative to highly addictive conventional cigarettes. Our new distribution agreements with the top providers in the industry facilitate fast stocking, coordinated promotion and easy re-supply of VLN^® for retailers who join in carrying this important tool in the fight to reduce the harms of smoking,” said Miller.

Additional VLN^® Background
22nd Century Group’s VLN^® brand cigarettes are the first and only combustible cigarettes that the FDA has authorized as Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTP). The Company’s VLN^® King and VLN^® Menthol King contain 95% less nicotine than traditional addictive cigarettes, a level considered to be minimally or non-addictive. Reduced nicotine content cigarettes, such as VLN^®, have been studied extensively by federal health agencies, documenting their ability to help smokers smoke less. To inform adult smokers of the product’s distinctive purpose, the FDA requires 22nd Century to include the statement “Helps You Smoke Less” on every package of VLN^® sold.

As demonstrated by leading independent scientists, reducing the nicotine level in cigarettes has the potential to substantially reduce the enormous burden of smoking-related death and disease. It is estimated that a nicotine product standard to a level that is 95% less than the level of nicotine contained in U.S. conventional cigarettes could save millions of lives and tens of millions of life-years over the next several decades.

About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII) is a leading agricultural biotechnology company focused on tobacco harm reduction, reduced nicotine tobacco and improving health and wellness through plant science. With dozens of patents allowing it to control nicotine biosynthesis in the tobacco plant, the Company has developed proprietary reduced nicotine content (RNC) tobacco plants and cigarettes, which have become the cornerstone of the FDA’s Comprehensive Plan to address the widespread death and disease caused by smoking. The Company received the first and only FDA Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) authorization for a combustible cigarette in December 2021. In tobacco, hemp/cannabis and hop plants, 22nd Century uses modern plant breeding technologies, including genetic engineering, gene-editing, and molecular breeding to deliver solutions for the life science and consumer products industries by creating new, proprietary plants with optimized alkaloid and flavonoid profiles as well as improved yields and valuable agronomic traits.

Learn more at xxiicentury.com, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on YouTube.

Learn more about VLN^® at tryvln.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements typically contain terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “consider,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “explore,” “foresee,” “goal,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “preliminary,” “probable,” “project,” “promising,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions. Actual results might differ materially from those explicit or implicit in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth in “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 9, 2023. All information provided in this release is as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor Relations & Media Contact
Matt Kreps
Investor Relations
22nd Century Group
mkreps@xxiicentury.com
214-597-8200