22nd Century Group, Inc.

22nd Century Group, Inc. is an agricultural biotechnology company dedicated to tobacco harm reduction and improving health and wellness through plant science. Founded in 1998, the company's mission is to enable smokers to take control of their nicotine consumption, addressing the pervasive issue of nicotine addiction. Its headquarters are located in Mocksville, North Carolina. [2, 4, 5, 7, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 23]

The company's core products include proprietary reduced nicotine content (RNC) tobacco products, notably VLN® cigarettes, which contain 95% less nicotine than traditional cigarettes and are the only low nicotine combustible cigarettes authorized by the FDA in the United States. [2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 18, 20] 22nd Century Group also provides contract manufacturing services for conventional combustible tobacco products, including turnkey manufacturing of cigarettes and filtered cigars for third-party brands. [2, 4, 6]

In recent news, as of May 2026, 22nd Century Group filed an 8-K detailing an agreement to sell up to $6.4 million in common shares through an at-the-market (ATM) offering. [1, 11] The company has outlined its 2026 vision, focusing on expanding the retail footprint and marketing efforts for its VLN® products to drive growth in the tobacco harm reduction market. [3, 5, 12, 22] Lawrence D. Firestone serves as the President, CEO, and Chairman. [2, 5] The company reported Q4 2025 net revenue of approximately $3.6 million, a decrease from Q3, attributed to a strategic decision to exit lower-margin contracts. [12]