Company: XXII
Filing Date: 2025-06-10
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001641172-25-014543
Chunk: 19

Company: 22nd Century Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-06-10
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 19
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Non-employee directors are compensated for their service on our Board as shown below. Directors who are employees of the Company receive no additional compensation for serving as directors. The Compensation Committee periodically reviews the compensation of our non-employee directors and considers market practices.

Given the performance of the Company and the resulting cash constraints during financial restructuring executed throughout 2024, the Board approved a reduced cash and no equity-based compensation for non-employee directors in 2024. For fiscal 2025, compensation will consist of cash and equity-based awards, as set forth below:

| 2025 Director Compensation (non-employee)                            |     |   |        |
|:---------------------------------------------------------------------|:----|:--|-------:|
| Annual cash retainer:                                                |     | $ | 20,000 |
| Chair of the Board or Lead Independent Director                      |     | $ | 20,000 |
| Chair of Audit Committee                                             |     | $ | 10,000 |
| Chair of Compensation or Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee |     | $ |  5,000 |
| Member of a Board Committee                                          |     | $ |  5,000 |
| Annual equity award value:                                           |     |   |        |
| Chair of the Board or Lead Independent Director                      |     | $ | 60,000 |
| Member of a Board Committee                                          |     | $ | 35,000 |

Non-employee director equity-based awards will vest annually, and consist of a mix weighted as 75% non-qualifying stock options (NQSO’s) and 25% restricted stock units (RSU’s).

<div align='center'>NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION FOR 2024</div>

| Name               |     | Fees earned or paid in cash(1) |        |     | Option 
 Awards |   |     | Restricted Stock Unit Awards( |   |     | All Other    
 Compensation |   |     | Total |        |
|:-------------------|:----|:-------------------------------|-------:|:----|:-------|:--|:----|:------------------------------|:--|:----|:-------------|:--|:----|:------|-------:|
| Andrew Arno        |     | $                              | 30,000 |     | $      | — |     | $                             | — |     | $            | — |     | $     | 30,000 |
| Lucille S. Salh