22nd Century Group (Nasdaq: XXII) Launches Pinnacle VLN® Trial in California, Opening Another Major New State for Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes

Initial 60-Store California Entry Extends XXII's Reduced-Nicotine Rollout Into One of the Nation's Largest and Most Influential Tobacco Markets, With a Pathway to Broader Expansion  MOCKSVILLE, N.C., May 21, 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 the expansion of Pinnacle VLN® into the state of California through an initial approximately 60-store retail trial, establishing the brand's first retail presence in the state and opening another strategically important market for the Company's FDA-authorized reduced-nicotine cigarette platform.