22nd Century Partners with The University of Virginia to Utilize Industrial Hemp to Clean Up and Reclaim Polluted Lands
20 June 2017 - 11:55PM
Business Wire
22nd Century’s proprietary industrial hemp
could revolutionize land reclamation initiatives across the United
States
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII), a plant biotechnology
company focused on tobacco harm reduction and cannabis research,
announced today that, together with The University of Virginia
(UVA), it has launched a project aimed at utilizing novel varieties
of industrial hemp to clean up and reclaim abandoned mine lands and
other polluted areas. These polluted lands will be returned to
productive use and cultivation through a cost-effective,
plant-based process known as “phytoremediation.”
22nd Century has developed proprietary hemp plants that are
particularly well-suited for use in phytoremediation. These plants
feature rapid growth rates and are highly efficient at absorbing
toxins, metals and other soil contaminants. Similar varieties of
hemp proved extremely effective in helping to remediate the land
after the nuclear accidents at Chernobyl, Ukraine and Fukushima,
Japan. In addition to removing contamination, hemp’s deep tap roots
alter soil structure, aerate the soil, and add organic matter deep
into the soil profile.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia and elsewhere throughout the
Appalachians, coal mining and other environmentally damaging
activities have left behind vast stretches of compacted, polluted
and generally untillable soil. This summer, researchers at UVA and
its affiliate, UVA at Wise, will begin testing industrial hemp
varieties developed by the 22nd Century-UVA partnership to improve
soils in Virginia. Because there are more than 30,000 sites that
require soil remediation in the United States alone,
phytoremediation is expected to become a significant area of
business for 22nd Century. UVA and 22nd Century will also
investigate other uses of their phytoremediation hemp plants in
Virginia, including the production of fiber, oils and other high
value products, thus creating lucrative secondary markets for 22nd
Century.
Based at the UVA-Wise campus, this landmark project reaches
beyond conventional hemp remediation applications because UVA and
22nd Century are employing their combined biotechnology expertise
to produce improved proprietary hemp varieties that are
specifically designed for soil remediation. Such novel and powerful
proprietary plants promise to become a central tool in farmland
decontamination initiatives around the world.
“Our phytoremediation-optimized varieties of industrial hemp
will open up new and lucrative markets for 22nd Century,” explained
Dr. Paul Rushton, 22nd Century’s Vice President for Plant
Biotechnology. “We are enthusiastic about the prospect of applying
our biotechnology expertise to a challenging environmental problem.
We see phytoremediation as an opportunity for 22nd Century to do
very well… by doing good for the Earth.”
“We are very excited about using 22nd Century’s industrial hemp
plants for land reclamation in Southwest Virginia, where years of
poor land management practices and industrial mining have
devastated soil quality and fertility,” explained Dr. Michael
Timko, the principal scientific investigator at UVA. “This is also
a tremendous opportunity to partner with UVA-Wise where Dr. Ryan
Huish and his colleagues have been studying the problems of mining
land reclamation. Industrial hemp farming provides a new approach
to not only rejuvenating the land but also the local economy in key
portions of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century is a plant biotechnology company focused on genetic
engineering and plant breeding which allows the increase or
decrease of the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level
of cannabinoids in cannabis plants. The Company’s primary mission
in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused by smoking. The Company’s
primary mission in cannabis is to develop proprietary hemp/cannabis
strains for important new medicines and agricultural crops. Visit
www.xxiicentury.com and www.botanicalgenetics.com for more
information.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press
release contains forward-looking information, including all
statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the
intent, belief or current expectations of 22nd Century Group, Inc.,
its directors or its officers with respect to the contents of this
press release, including but not limited to our future revenue
expectations. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,”
“estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar
expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results,
levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as
of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should
be considered with any written or oral forward-looking statements
that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable
law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not
intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform
these statements to reflect actual results, later events or
circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events. You should carefully review and consider the various
disclosures made by us in our annual report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, filed on March 8, 2017,
including the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and our other
reports filed with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission which
attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that
may affect our business, financial condition, results of operation
and cash flows. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our
actual results may vary materially from those expected or
projected.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170620005470/en/
Investor Relations:IRTH CommunicationsAndrew Haag,
866-976-4784xxii@irthcommunications.com
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