VLN^®, a cigarette with 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarettes, is now available for the 75% of Colorado smokers that are willing to switch brands to help them cut back 

DENVER, Feb. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new survey of 500 Colorado adults who smoke assessed the state of cigarettes in Colorado and found 74 percent were interested in quitting, and 87 percent see cutting back as a pivotal step in that process. The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research for 22nd Century Group, Inc., which has launched a new product in Colorado that is now available for adults looking to smoke less.

Despite continually ranking as one of the healthiest states in the country, more than 12% of adults in Colorado still smoke and more than 5,000 people in the state continue to die each year from smoking highly addictive cigarettes, with higher incidence of smoking among rural and vulnerable communities.

Motivations to Quit and Past Attempts
When survey respondents were asked why they wanted to quit smoking, the most common responses were to save money (74 percent), improve their physical health (71 percent) and because family or friends asked them to stop (42 percent). However, quitting has proven to be a challenge for many Coloradans who smoke, with respondents who have tried at least once noting an average of five past quit attempts. The most common method used for trying to quit was going cold turkey (58 percent), followed closely by cutting back gradually (55 percent), nicotine patches (47 percent) and nicotine gum (42 percent).

Obstacles to Quitting 
So, why can’t many Coloradans give up cigarettes? Cravings for the experience of smoking was a top reason respondents with at least one quit attempt were triggered to start smoking again. Plus, the top three challenges that kept Coloradans from trying to quit — or being successful in their quit attempts — were:

• Inability to handle stress without smoking (57 percent)
• Constant cravings for nicotine (55 percent)
• Unable to break free from the habit and experience of smoking (46 percent)

While quitting for good is clearly the best option for people’s health, this may not be within reach for many, based on findings from this survey. However, many Coloradans who smoke consider cutting back a step in the right direction. In fact, 87 percent of those surveyed said that significantly cutting back on how often they smoke would make them more confident in their ability to quit smoking completely.

New Option in Colorado for Cutting Back 
For Coloradans looking to cut back but haven’t had success with other products, VLN^® cigarettes — the first and only combustible tobacco cigarettes to receive a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) designation by the FDA, which contain minimal or non-addictive levels of nicotine — are now available statewide in Colorado. In fact, Colorado was one of the first states in the country to reduce taxes on MRTP products and the second Master Settlement Agreement state to approve listing VLN^® for sale.

“Our study found that the vast majority of survey participants said even just cutting back is considered a win and that’s exactly what our VLN^® cigarettes are clinically proven to do,” said John Miller, president of 22nd Century Group’s Tobacco Business. “For the 75 percent of Coloradans who smoke who are willing to switch brands to help them cut back, VLN^® cigarettes can be a new tool to help them smoke less, because VLN^® provides the same familiar taste and experience as a regular cigarette.”

While not a cessation product, VLN^® King and VLN^® Menthol King address many of the challenges respondents cited when trying to cut back or quit, including giving up the experience of smoking and inability to handle stress without smoking. VLN^® tastes, smells and burns like a conventional cigarette, giving people the smoking experience they’re craving, but with 95 percent less of the addictive nicotine that keeps people hooked.

Why This Matters Now
With the FDA contemplating a nicotine cap and proposing rules to ban menthol as a flavoring agent for all combustible cigarettes sold in the United States as part of its Comprehensive Plan for Tobacco and Nicotine Regulation, VLN^® is the only combustible cigarette on the market today that anticipates future tobacco policy developments in the United States and globally. Colorado is still the first — and only — state where VLN^® cigarettes are available in multiple locations across the state, giving Coloradans who want to cut back a head start on smoking less.

Adult Coloradans who smoke can find VLN^® cigarettes at all Circle K and Smoker Friendly stores throughout the state. People who smoke can also ask staff at any location alcoholic beverages are sold to stock VLN^® . If you are 21 or older, learn more about VLN^®’s revolutionary approach to reducing tobacco harm at tryVLN.com and click on the ‘Store Locator’ to find the nearest location selling VLN^® King and VLN^® Menthol King.

The Colorado Smoking Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 500 representative Colorado Smokers, ages 21+, between January 4th and January 16th, 2023, using an email invitation and an online survey. The data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of smokers in Colorado ages 21+.

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 of 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.

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 1, 2022, and in the Company’s Quarterly Report filed on November 8, 2022. 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.

Media Contact:

Paul Raab
Linhart Public Relations
303-951-2551
[email protected]

Investor Contact:
Matt Kreps
22nd Century Group, Inc.
Investor Relations
[email protected]
214-597-8200

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Ryan Allway

Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.

Proposed Menthol Ban Could Leave 22nd Century’s VLN^® Menthol King as the Only Menthol Cigarette in the $26 Billion U.S. Menthol Market

FDA to Advance Reduced Nicotine Content Standards for All Combustible Cigarettes in Q4 2023

Paradigm Shift in Tobacco Health Policy and Regulation Expected to Generate Major Gains for Public Health

Buffalo, New York–(Newsfile Corp. – January 17, 2023) – 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 that the Company is poised to greatly benefit from the recent advancement of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed ban on menthol as a flavoring agent in combustible cigarettes to final rule status, with expectations of a final decision in August 2023.

“The most recent updates to the Biden administration’s Unified Agenda on Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Unified Agenda) include major advancements in the FDA’s proposed tobacco harm reduction policies in 2023,” stated John Miller, president of tobacco products for 22nd Century Group. “Advancement of FDA’s proposed menthol ban could position VLN^® Menthol King as the only combustible menthol tobacco cigarette on the market, providing a critical off-ramp to the estimated more than 15 million menthol smokers in the U.S.“

Menthol cigarettes account for an estimated $26 billion in retail sales. Menthol is also known to enhance nicotine’s addictive effects, making it more difficult to quit, and a disproportionate amount of menthol smokers are members of minority groups, particularly African American.

“FDA’s proposed menthol policy specifically contemplates exempting certain products from the ban, such as our MRTP authorized VLN^® cigarettes, providing a critical off-ramp opportunity for adult menthol smokers,” stated John Pritchard, vice president of regulatory science for 22nd Century Group. “Without an off-ramp product, both research and real-world experience show the vast majority of menthol smokers would simply transition to traditional combusted cigarettes. 22nd Century’s MRTP authorization documents how VLN^® products can help people to smoke less, leading to a true reduction in smoking in line with FDA’s important public health goals.”

The Unified Agenda also indicates that the FDA intends to advance its transformative reduced nicotine content standards later in 2023, which seeks to limit the nicotine levels in all cigarettes to a level considered “minimally or non-addictive.” Both of these standards are considered game changers for public health and could be extremely favorable for 22nd Century Group due to VLN^®‘s 95% reduced nicotine content.

The 22nd Century VLN^® expansion is going well, with VLN^®‘s availability already expanding across five states with anchor partners including Circle K and Smoker Friendly. Following the Company’s stated growth strategy to expand to 12-15 states during 2023, 22nd Century is actively engaged with multiple industry leading distribution partners and retail store chains wanting to introduce the Company’s transformative VLN^® products to adult smokers in both existing and new markets.

Mr. Miller concluded, “The proactive and forward-thinking policies of the FDA have the power to reduce the harms of smoking and save millions of lives. 22nd Century Group continues to fully support these policies, and VLN^® reduced nicotine content products demonstrate that these programs are 100% achievable.”

22nd Century Group’s VLN^® brand cigarettes are the 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 of 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 1, 2022, and in the Company’s Quarterly Report filed on November 8, 2022. 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
Darrow Associates Investor Relations
Matt Kreps
[email protected]
214-597-8200

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/151471

SOURCE 22nd Century Group

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Ryan Allway

Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.

Customer shipments continue uninterrupted, expects to resume production within weeks

Buffalo, New York–(Newsfile Corp. – December 8, 2022) – GVB Biopharma, a 22nd Century Group company (NASDAQ: XXII), today provided updates on its operational recovery progress and customer shipments following a fire that occurred at its distillate and isolate manufacturing facility located in Grass Valley, Oregon, on November 20, 2022.

The Company has opened a new logistics hub at an existing company facility in nearby Tygh Valley, OR and production space nearby in an existing lab facility that is established, permitted and expected to be online within weeks. All customer shipments continue delivery as planned.

“Our team moved immediately upon learning of the fire to implement existing contingency plans to ensure our employees were safe, coordinate with first responders and maintain uninterrupted customer shipments. These plans will also enable our team to replace our Central Oregon distillate and isolate capabilities within a matter of weeks,” said James A. Mish, chief executive officer of 22nd Century Group. “We have connected with all of our major customers to ensure orders are delivered on time and are maintaining our revenue expectations for the foreseeable future.”

The fire damaged the refinement facility at the Grass Valley location, requiring all hemp refining operations on site to be curtailed. Additional equipment and inventory stored in adjacent buildings was not damaged and will be relocated to nearby facilities as part of the Company’s business continuity plans. The Company has commenced the insurance claims process and expects that losses resulting from the fire will be covered by its property and business interruption policies.

Said Mish, “As an enterprise, we had extensive backup plans in place to ensure customers continue to receive product deliveries uninterrupted plus multiple options already identified to quickly resume production of our distillate and isolate products. We have incremental equipment readying to ship from our manufacturer plus undamaged equipment that was not presently installed at our Grass Valley site. We are diverting that finished equipment to a nearby facility and expect to install in a matter of weeks. While we are bringing that facility online, we are utilizing inventory and can source ingredients from other suppliers if necessary to meet all customer delivery needs. We are grateful that the industry has rallied with us to provide support, product and access as needed.”

About GVB Biopharma
GVB Biopharma, a 22nd Century company, is a global-scale specialty ingredient supplier and contract development & manufacturing organization (CDMO) with manufacturing locations in Nevada and Oregon. GVB is the largest merchant provider of cannabinoid extracts and isolates in North America with a focus on cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) extracted and refined at an industrial scale into distillates and isolates. GVB Biopharma’s facilities are NSF International audited and are cGMP Registered for dietary supplements manufacturing. GVB is widely regarded as a best-in-class operator with a leading position in the hemp-derived active ingredients market, with around 15% market share and growing. GVB is also a white-label contract manufacturer of tinctures, gel capsules, gummies, mints, tablets, topical, and vape offerings.

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 MRTP authorization of 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 1, 2022, and in the Company’s Quarterly Report filed on August 9, 2022. 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
Darrow Associates Investor Relations
Matt Kreps
[email protected]
214-597-8200

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/147350

SOURCE 22nd Century Group

This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.

About Ryan Allway

Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.