22nd Century enters three-year license, distribution agreement with Cookies

22nd Century Group announced a new three-year exclusive license and distribution agreement with Cookies, a globally recognized hemp/cannabis company. The exclusive license with 22nd Century covers all Cookies branded non-Delta-9 THC, hemp derived cannabinoid consumer packaged goods, including sourcing of all ingredients and APIs; white-label manufacturing of vapes and other CBD products; and category management through retail distribution. GVB Biopharma, a 22nd Century company, has manufactured various Cookies products for the past three years, and under this new Agreement, will manufacture Cookies’ market-leading products, expected to account for more than half of Cookies’ non-Delta-9 cannabinoid sales. The integrated go-to-market sales and distribution components of the agreement will leverage 22nd Century’s veteran consumer packaged goods sales team, which plans to distribute Cookies products in up to 18 markets targeted for the rollout of the Company’s innovative VLN products, during 2023. This combination will allow Cookies to leverage 22nd Century’s purpose built, turn-key sales and distribution platform for alternative consumer products. Cookies will continue to leverage its robust brand building, marketing and advertising apparatus to support sales of its products, including, but not limited to, direct advertising of their products by Berner across social media, earned media and in-person events. The partnership will also leverage Cookies’ industry leading creative development studios across a number of different placements and categories to promote product launches in key markets. The CPG sales team will target a market of approximately 60,000 retail stores consisting of independent retail, discount tobacco outlets and vape shops in non-recreational states serviced by its network of top regional distributors and chain discount tobacco outlets.