22nd Century Reports Expanded State Authorization Progress to Sell VLN®, Partner VLN® and Conventional Products

State Authorizations Mean Even More Adult Smokers Will Be Able to Purchase VLN^®, Partner VLN^®, Smoker Friendly and Pinnacle Products

MOCKSVILLE, N.C., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), today announced a significant increase in state authorizations for the sale of its growing portfolio of both proprietary and contract manufactured products.

The increase in state authorizations enables new sales activity and new product launches for 22nd Century’s proprietary VLN^® reduced nicotine content cigarettes, a growing list of partner VLN^® brands, a diverse and expanded range of Smoker Friendly products and a growing number of Pinnacle^® products sold at a top 5 C-Store chain in the U.S.

“The most recent state authorizations will open even more new markets as we drive toward approval to sell VLN^® based products in all 50 states. Additionally, this demonstrates to the FDA that VLN^® based products can be available on a nationwide basis by the close of its proposed Low Nicotine Mandate comment period in mid-September. Our VLN^® and partner VLN^® products are the only combustible cigarettes that fit within the confines of the FDA’s mandate as originally issued by the first Trump administration in 2018 and reissued in January 2025,” said Larry Firestone, Chief Executive Officer of 22nd Century Group. “We already have partner VLN^® retailers accounting for over 2,000 outlets progressing through implementation to begin shipping in the second half of 2025 and expect more ahead.”

Key state authorizations to date now include the following brands. Additional state authorizations are pending and expected in the second half of 2025, supporting the launch of these products in further new markets. Products marked with an * represent new introductions to the market and retailers in 2025:

• VLN^® Gold and Green – 41 States
• *VLN^® Red – 21 States
• *Smoker Friendly VLN^® – 20 States
• *Pinnacle^® VLN^® – 20 States
• Smoker Friendly – 45 States
• *Smoker Friendly Black Label – 27 States
• Pinnacle^® – 37 States

The growing list of state approvals expands the market opportunity for additional partner brands to launch their own private label VLN^® products in large and untapped markets across the country.

“With more than 272,000 U.S. retail outlets that sell tobacco products across the country, 22nd Century and its partners have a tremendous untapped market opportunity for both our VLN® and conventional products in the US, and we have begun to look internationally with VLN^® as well,” said Firestone.

22^nd Century is the only tobacco products company that has for 27 years led the tobacco harm reduction movement and continues to lead the fight against the harms of smoking driven by nicotine addiction is creating a new pathway to reducing the rate of smoking and related health harms through increasing adoption of its VLN^® reduced nicotine content cigarette products by additional brands. Our products incorporate proprietary and patented tobacco that contains 95% less nicotine than tobacco used in highly addictive conventional cigarettes. Decades of peer reviewed studies have shown that the level of nicotine content in 22nd Century’s products can reduce both the rate of smoking and the health harms of smoking.

About 22nd Century Group, Inc.

22nd Century Group is the pioneering nicotine harm reduction company in the tobacco industry enabling smokers to take control of their nicotine consumption. 

We created our flagship product, the VLN^® cigarette, to give traditional cigarette smokers an authentic and familiar alternative in the form of a combustible cigarette that helps them take control of their nicotine consumption. VLN^® cigarettes have 95% less nicotine than the traditional cigarette and have been proven to allow consumers to greatly reduce their nicotine consumption. Instead of offering new ways of delivering nicotine to addicted smokers, we offer smokers in the form that they are used to, the option to take control of their nicotine consumption and make informed and more productive choices, including the choice to avoid addictive levels of nicotine altogether. 

Our proprietary reduced nicotine tobacco blends are made possible by comprehensive and patented technologies and tobacco plants that regulate nicotine biosynthesis activities in the tobacco plant, resulting in full flavor and high yield with 95% less nicotine. Our extensive patent portfolio has been developed to ensure we have the only low nicotine combustible cigarette in the United States and critical international markets.

VLN^® is a registered trademark of 22nd Century Limited LLC.

Learn more at xxiicentury.com, on X (formerly 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, including but not limited to our full year business outlook. 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. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding (i) our cost reduction initiatives, (ii) our expectations regarding regulatory enforcement, including our ability to receive an exemption from new regulations, (iii) our financial and operating performance and (iv) our expectations for our business interruption insurance claim. 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 20, 2025, and in the Company’s Quarterly Reports filed on May 13, 2025. 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
[email protected]
214-597-8200

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