<div id="readability-page-1"><article>VLN® Product Launch in Over 150 New High-Visibility Store Locations Positions XXII to Introduce VLN® to New Consumers and Potentially Capture a Large Adult-Smoker Market, Accelerate High-Margin Revenue MOCKSVILLE, N.C., May 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), a tobacco products company focused on reducing the harms of smoking through nicotine reduction, today announced that shipments are expected to commence of its Pinnacle VLN® cigarette brand for sale through one of the nation’s largest purveyors of cigarettes in the US, with distribution expanding to almost 150 stores concentrated in the metro New York area and northern New Jersey. This new rollout marks the first of a series of significant steps forward in 22nd Century Group’s broader commercial growth strategy and further expands the Company’s Pinnacle VLN® retail presence in one of the most densely populated, high-traffic, and strategically important convenience retail corridors in the United States. By increasing distribution across metro New York and northern New Jersey, the Company is broadening consumer access to its VLN-focused product platform while creating a meaningful opportunity to drive consumer acquisition, incremental high-margin revenue and enhance low nicotine combustible cigarette category awareness. The Pinnacle launch enters a market corridor representing an estimated nearly 800,000 adult cigarette smokers, underscoring the scale of the commercial opportunity in the rollout region. VLN® products are tailored to align with health and wellness initiatives of state and local governments, who continue to invest in smoking prevention and cessation efforts, including programs such as NYS Quits, NYC Quits, and the New Jersey Quitline, highlighting the continued importance of innovation and differentiation in tobacco products. Larry Firestone, Chief Executive Officer of 22nd Century Group, said, “This expanded distribution of our Pinnacle VLN® brand is an important milestone for 22nd Century Group and a strong validation of our commercial strategy. Launching in metro New York and northern New Jersey gives us exposure in a highly active retail corridor with exceptional market density, strong consumer traffic, and meaningful revenue potential.” Firestone continued, “We believe this rollout meaningfully strengthens the visibility of the 22nd Century Group’s position in the marketplace. It demonstrates the scalability of our platform, the value of our VLN® strategy, and our ability to execute in major metropolitan markets. Most importantly, it positions us to expand consumer awareness, accelerate revenue growth, expand margins, and continue advancing toward cash positive operations.” FDA Authorization and Scientific Foundation 22nd Century VLN® low nicotine combustible cigarettes were authorized in December 2021, making them the first and still the only combustible cigarettes authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically to help reduce nicotine consumption. Decades of independent clinical research and peer-reviewed studies—evaluated as part of the FDA’s Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) authorization process—demonstrated that reducing nicotine content can decrease nicotine intake, increase quit attempts, and reduce overall exposure to nicotine. FDA-authorized VLN® claims include: <ul type="disc"><li>“95% less nicotine”</li></ul> <ul type="disc"><li>“Helps reduce your nicotine consumption”</li></ul> <ul type="disc"><li>“Greatly reduces your nicotine consumption”</li></ul> <ul type="disc"><li>“Helps you smoke less”</li></ul> About 22nd Century Group, Inc. 22nd Century Group is pioneering the Tobacco Harm Reduction and Nicotine Reduction Movements by enabling smokers to take control of their nicotine consumption. Our Technology is Tobacco Our proprietary non-GMO reduced nicotine tobacco plants were developed using our patented technologies that regulate alkaloid biosynthesis activities resulting in a tobacco plant that contains 95% less nicotine than traditional tobacco plants. Our extensive patent portfolio has been developed to ensure that our-high-quality tobacco can be grown commercially at scale. We continue to develop our intellectual property to ensure our ongoing leadership in the tobacco harm reduction movement. Our Products We created our flagship product, the VLN® cigarette using our low nicotine tobacco, 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 compared to traditional cigarettes and have been proven to allow consumers to greatly reduce their nicotine consumption. VLN® and Helps You Smoke Less® are registered trademarks 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 expectations regarding regulatory enforcement, including our ability to receive authorization or approval for new products, and (ii) our financial and operating performance. 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 26, 2026. 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 &amp; Media Contact Matt Kreps Investor Relations 22nd Century Group investorrelations@xxiicentury.com 214-597-8200 <img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti/query-bmY9T1RjeU1USXhOQ00zTmpBMU9EY3lJelV3TURFek1UUTROQT09?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="1" height="1" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti/query-bmY9T1RjeU1USXhOQ00zTmpBMU9EY3lJelV3TURFek1UUTROQT09"/> <img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/NGZhODJmNDAtZDFjNy00Mzc2LTlmOWItZWQ5ZWFjNWRiZjZiLTUwMDEzMTQ4NC0yMDI2LTA1LTE1LWVu/tiny/22nd-Century-Group-Inc-.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="1" height="1" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/NGZhODJmNDAtZDFjNy00Mzc2LTlmOWItZWQ5ZWFjNWRiZjZiLTUwMDEzMTQ4NC0yMDI2LTA1LTE1LWVu/tiny/22nd-Century-Group-Inc-.png"/></article></div>

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22nd Century Group (Nasdaq: XXII) is launching its Pinnacle VLN® cigarette brand in over 150 stores in metro New York and northern New Jersey. This expansion aims to capture a significant adult-smoker market, enhancing consumer access to low nicotine products. The rollout is part of the company's growth strategy, supported by FDA authorization for VLN® products, which contain 95% less nicotine. CEO Larry Firestone emphasized the importance of this milestone for revenue growth and market visibility.

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22nd Century Group (Nasdaq: XXII) Ignites Major VLN® Retail Expansion in Metro New York and Northern New Jersey Under Pinnacle Brand  | XXII Stock News