22nd Century Group, Inc. has announced that John Miller has been appointed as interim Chief Executive Officer and Andrew Arno has been appointed to its Board of Directors as an independent director, according to a company press release.

22nd Century is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to improving health with reduced nicotine tobacco, hemp/cannabis and hops advanced plant technologies. John Miller, who leads the tobacco business unit, will take over as interim Chief Executive Officer from James A. Mish, who has served as CEO since June 2020. Mish will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. Additionally, Wall Street veteran Andrew (“Andy”) Arno has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors as an independent director.
“I have enjoyed advancing the key initiatives of 22nd Century, building an accomplished team of dedicated individuals taking this Company from an R&D organization focused on plant science, to a fully commercial consumer products business,” Mish. “I am particularly proud of the work we have done to date on tobacco harm reduction while simultaneously building a competitive array of products that serve our hemp/cannabis customers. As a result, we are at an opportune juncture to enhance John Miller’s leadership role to take our VLN business to the next level.”
“I look forward to continuing to advance our mission of innovative plant technologies tied to tobacco harm reduction and new consumer focused health and wellness products,” said Miller. “VLN® represents the most unique and innovative approach to harm reduction in years, providing adult smokers with a truly unique, clinically studied solution to reducing their smoking habit. Likewise, our work in the hemp/cannabis business is bringing forward new products sought by consumers while applying the consistent standards, reliable manufacturing processes and national distribution support needed for brands to effectively scale in these growing end markets.”
“We are excited to have Andy join our board, bringing decades of strategic and capital markets experience. Andy’s experience in strategically aligning public companies to maximize the value is highly relevant as we continue to advance through our transition to a fully commercial enterprise selling products into high growth end markets. Andy has been an investor, investment banker and advisor to the Company for almost a decade and brings a unique viewpoint informed by his experience on the operating side of public companies. His contributions will be a welcome addition in our boardroom,” said Nora Sullivan, Chair of the Board.