As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2025.
File
No. 333-
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
DC 20549
FORM
S-8
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER
THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
22nd
CENTURY GROUP, INC.
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Nevada |
|
98-0468420 |
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation or Organization) |
|
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.) |
321
Farmington Road, Mocksville North Carolina 27028
(Address of Principal Executive Office)( Zip Code)
AMENDED
AND RESTATED 22nd CENTURY GROUP, INC. 2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
(Full
title of the plan)
Jonathan Staffeldt
General
Counsel
22nd
Century Group, Inc.
321
Farmington Road, Mocksville
North
Carolina 27028
(Name
and address of agent for service)
(336)
940-3769
(Telephone
Number, including area code, for agent for service)
Copy
to:
John
J. Wolfel, Esq.
Foley
& Lardner LLP
One
Independent Drive, Suite 1300
Jacksonville,
Florida 32202
(904)
359-2000
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”
“smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer ☐ |
Accelerated
filer ☐ |
Non-accelerated
filer ☒ |
Smaller
reporting company ☒ |
|
Emerging
growth company ☐ |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided under Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
REGISTRATION
OF ADDITIONAL SECURITIES
PURSUANT
TO GENERAL INSTRUCTION E
This
Registration Statement relates solely to the registration of additional securities of the same class as other securities for which a
Registration Statement on this form relating to an employee benefit plan is effective. Pursuant to Instruction E of Form S-8, this Registration
Statement incorporates by reference the contents of the Registration Statements previously filed with respect to the Plan on Form S-8
(Registration Nos. 333-284645, 333-280748, 333-274091 and 333-256616).
PART
II
INFORMATION
REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item
3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
The
Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following:
| (a) | Our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC
on March 20, 2025, as amended on April 30, 2025; |
| | |
| (b) | Our
definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on June 10, 2025; |
| | |
| (c) | Our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May
13, 2025 and August
14, 2025; |
| | |
| (d) | Our
Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 7, 2025, January 13, 2025, January 27, 2025, April 30, 2025, May 22, 2025, June 16, 2025, June 24, 2025 and July 15, 2025; and |
| | |
| (e) | The
description of our common stock contained in or incorporated into our Registration Statement
on Form 8-A, filed August 12, 2021, and any amendment or report updating that description. |
In
addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior
to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities
then remaining unsold (other than information deemed to have been “furnished” rather than “filed” in accordance
with the Commission’s rules), shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the respective date of filing of such documents. Unless expressly incorporated into this Registration Statement, a report
(or portion thereof) furnished on Form 8-K prior or subsequent to the date hereof shall not be incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be
modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently
filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement
so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item
8. Exhibits
Exhibit
Number |
|
Exhibit Description |
3.1 |
|
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2010 filed with the Commission on December 1, 2010). |
|
|
|
3.1.1 |
|
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the Commission on March 4, 2014). |
|
|
|
3.1.2 |
|
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the Commission on December 11, 2023). |
|
|
|
3.1.3 |
|
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on April 4, 2024). |
|
|
|
3.1.4 |
|
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on December 17, 2024). |
|
|
|
3.1.5 |
|
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference from Appendix A to the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed June 10, 2025). |
|
|
|
3.2 |
|
Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the Commission on January 30, 2014). |
|
|
|
3.2.1 |
|
Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on April 28, 2015). |
|
|
|
4.1 |
|
Description of Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed on March 28, 2024)
|
|
|
|
5.1 |
|
Opinion of Foley & Lardner LLP with respect to the legality of the shares being registered (filed herewith).
|
|
|
|
10.1 |
|
Amended and Restated 22nd Century Group, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference from Appendix B to the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed June 10, 2025))
|
|
|
|
10.2 |
|
Form of Executive RSU Award Agreement under 22nd Century Group, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 21, 2021).
|
|
|
|
10.3 |
|
Form of Director RSU Award Agreement under 22nd Century Group, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.4 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 21, 2021). |
|
|
|
10.4 |
|
Form of Option Award Agreement under 22nd Century Group, Inc. 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on May 21, 2021).
|
|
|
|
23.1 |
|
Consent of Freed Maxick P.C. (filed herewith).
|
|
|
|
23.3 |
|
Consent of Foley & Lardner LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
|
|
|
|
24.1 |
|
Power of Attorney (included in signature page hereto).
|
|
|
|
107 |
|
Filing Fee Exhibit (filed herewith).
|
Documents
incorporated by reference to filings made by 22nd Century Group, Inc. under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are under SEC File No.
001-36338.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized in Mocksville, North Carolina York, on this 15th day of August, 2025.
|
22ND
CENTURY GROUP, INC. |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/
Lawrence D. Firestone
|
|
|
Lawrence
D. Firestone |
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer |
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
KNOW
ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Lawrence D. Firestone and
Jonathan Staffeldt, and each of them, as such person’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution
and resubstitution, for such person and in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) and additions to this registration statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with
all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and hereby grants to
such attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to
be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents or such person’s substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities
indicated as of the 15th day of August, 2025.
Signature |
|
Title |
|
|
|
/s/
Lawrence D. Firestone |
|
Chairman
of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Lawrence
D. Firestone |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Daniel A. Otto |
|
Chief
Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Daniel
A. Otto |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Andrew Arno
|
|
Lead
Independent Director |
Andrew Arno |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ David Keys
|
|
Director |
David Keys |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Lucille S. Salhany
|
|
Director |
Lucille
S. Salhany |
|
|