Town Pump, #1 Chain in Montana, Selling VLN^® Products in More Than 80 Stores Across the State

Broad Availability of VLN^® Expands Access to New Tool to Reduce the Harms of Smoking

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), a leading biotechnology company focused on utilizing advanced plant technologies to improve health and wellness with reduced nicotine tobacco, hemp/cannabis and hops, today announced its VLN^® reduced nicotine content cigarettes are selling robustly in more than 80 Town Pump convenience-stores (c-stores) across the state of Montana.

“Launching VLN^® statewide with Town Pump, the #1 c-store in the state, is a big win for adult smokers in Montana seeking an effective solution to break the chains of nicotine addiction,” stated John Miller, president of tobacco products for 22nd Century Group. “We continue to see a pattern where, once available in stores, strong interest from adult smokers looking for new solutions to cut their smoking habit fuels initial trial and then often adoption and repeat purchase of VLN^®. We are excited VLN will be available in dedicated partners such as Town Pump stores given their reputation for providing customers with excellence. Our innovative VLN^® reduced nicotine content cigarettes, the first and only combustible cigarette to secure a Modified Risk Tobacco Product authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. VLN^® contains 95% less nicotine than U.S. conventional cigarettes. 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.”

“We continue to expand the availability of VLN^® to a growing audience of adult smokers proactively seeking this innovative new product,” said James Mish, Chief Executive Officer of 22nd Century Group. “We expect to increase store counts in key markets and new states throughout the rest of 2023 and into 2024 based on the launch timelines being communicated to us by a growing list of retail chains across multiple categories where cigarettes are sold. Adult Smokers interested in reducing their smoking habit can locate stores near them through the Store Locator link on tryvln.com, which includes approximately 1,350 sites so far and is updated regularly as we launch VLN^® products in new states and retail chains.”

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.

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