22nd Century Group Announces Launch of “0.0 mg Nicotine” MAGIC Cigarettes in Spain
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII) today announced that on April 21, 2015 in Valencia, Spain at the SH Valencia Palace hotel, the Company will hold a press conference announcing the launch of MAGIC cigarettes in approximately 900 state-licensed retail shops across Spain. MAGIC cigarettes will be available to consumers starting April 24, 2015.
22nd Century’s MAGIC cigarettes are made with the Company’s proprietary very low nicotine tobacco and are manufactured for sale in Europe by Orion Tobacco Corporation. Designed to appeal to discriminating consumers and positioned to compete with premium cigarette brands, MAGIC 0 yields only 0.04 mg nicotine per cigarette – 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarette brands. Indeed, MAGIC 0 is the world’s only virtually nicotine-free tobacco cigarette. MAGIC 2 yields 0.2 mg nicotine per cigarette – an 80% reduction in nicotine as compared to conventional brands.
In accordance with European regulations which require cigarette manufacturers to list the nicotine yield directly on each pack of cigarettes and to round the yield to the nearest 1/10 place, MAGIC 0 packs prominently feature the words: “0.0 mg nicotine.” MAGIC 2 packs read “0.2 mg nicotine.” Dr. Michael Moynihan, VP of Research and Development at 22nd Century remarked: “We are very proud of our technology which allows us to grow the world’s lowest nicotine tobacco. This technology is what makes our extraordinary MAGIC 0 cigarettes possible.”
Aldista 2000, the distributor for MAGIC cigarettes across Spain, has taken pre-orders for MAGIC cigarettes at more than 900 stores and expects to place MAGIC in 2,500 retail stores – approximately 18% of the retail cigarette stores in Spain – by the end of this summer.
Mr. Miguel Molina of Trexper who serves 4,500 retail locations in Spain explained, “Since I learned that MAGIC was coming to Spain, I knew I wanted to sell these nicotine-free cigarettes in my stores. I am confident MAGIC 0 cigarettes will be very well received by consumers who want to be free of their addiction to nicotine.”
"Using proprietary, real tobacco grown in the United States – without any artificial extraction or chemical processes – 22nd Century is the only company in the world that can make '0.0 mg nicotine' cigarettes," explained Henry Sicignano III, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Launching in Spain is an important first step for us... Later this year, we intend to expand distribution of MAGIC cigarettes to other parts of Europe."