Company: XXII
Filing Date: 2025-05-22
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001641172-25-012101
Chunk: 61

Company: 22nd Century Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-05-22
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 61
---
 with the Board in opposing a hostile takeover bid. Shares of common stock could also be issued to a holder that would thereafter have sufficient voting power to assure that any proposal to amend or repeal the Company’s bylaws or Articles of Incorporation would not receive the requisite vote. Such uses of the common stock could render more difficult, or discourage, an attempt to acquire control of the Company if such transactions were opposed by the Board. A result of the anti-takeover effect of the increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock could be that stockholders would be denied the opportunity to obtain any advantages of a hostile takeover, including, but not limited to, receiving a premium to the then current market price of our common stock, if the same was so offered by a party attempting a hostile takeover of our Company. The Company is not aware of any party’s interest in or efforts to engage in a hostile takeover attempt as of the date of this Proxy Statement.

| 41 |

The Company effected a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock on July 5, 2023, effected a 1-for-16 reverse stock split on April 2, 2024, and effected a 1-for-135 reverse stock split on December 17, 2024. The Company effected these reverse stock splits for the purpose of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).

Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of a Reverse Stock Split

The following discussion summarizes certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the participation in a reverse stock split by a U.S. stockholder who holds the shares as a capital asset. This discussion is based on the provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), final, temporary and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder and current administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date hereof. All of these authorities may be subject to differing interpretations or repealed, revoked or modified, possibly with retroactive effect, which could materially alter the tax consequences set forth herein.

For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. stockholder” refers to a beneficial owner of common stock who is any of the following for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (i) a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or