As global demand for TAAT® has grown since its first U.S. launch in December 2020, the Company has engineered a variation of its Beyond Tobacco™ base material using reconstituted plant-based materials for international markets to which the current hemp-based formulation cannot be imported due to its CBD and negligible THC content. To capitalize on this global opportunity, TAAT® has filed an expedited U.S. patent covering this expanded scope of base materials in addition to proprietary integrations with smartphones and wearable technologies to assist current smokers with switching to TAAT® and observing its benefits through empirical data captured with artificial intelligence (“AI”).

LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT® GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the “Company” or “TAAT®”)is pleased to announce that it has filed an expedited patent application in the United States for a refinement process of the Beyond Tobacco™ base material for TAAT® in which a broader scope of reconstituted materials containing zero hemp can be utilized to produce a nicotine-free and tobacco-free smoking experience substantially resembling that of a traditional tobacco cigarette, without any residual cannabinoids (e.g., mullein, hops, lavender, chamomile, ginseng, sage, and peppermint). While cannabis is currently permitted in several global markets, it remains illegal in most others including the majority of Asian nations1. As TAAT® sets out to capture an even greater market share in the USD $812 billion global tobacco industry, the Company has recognized the importance of making its nicotine-free and tobacco-free product saleable in a broader range of nations around the world by developing a Beyond Tobacco™ formulation using reconstituted biomass with zero hemp.

Although the Company has had dialogues with tobacco distributors in regions with high smoking incidence rates where TAAT® is expected to enjoy significant popularity as a nicotine-free alternative to cigarettes (e.g., Asia-Pacific/APAC, Middle East and North Africa/MENA, Gulf Cooperation Council/GCC member states), it cannot be sold in several key markets due to the presence of cannabidiol (“CBD”) and negligible tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) content in the current Beyond Tobacco™ formulation. To overcome this obstacle, the Company has experimented with numerous non-hemp plant materials with which the Beyond Tobacco™ base material can be manufactured, and TAAT® has identified specific biomass types that can be consistently sourced at a commercial scale for potential distribution in new global markets. The Company has also identified numerous benefits that are specific to these materials, which TAAT® believes could enhance the value proposition of its zero-hemp formulations.

By offering a version of TAAT® with zero CBD or THC content whatsoever in addition to the legacy Beyond Tobacco™ formulation, the Company anticipates it can considerably expand its Total Addressable Market (“TAM”).

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5f4c9f39-1d9a-4f89-b4d7-1510df74ef32

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TAAT® Founder Joe Deighan commented, “Although hemp and various cannabinoids are fundamental to the TAAT® and Beyond Tobacco™ vision with respect to the benefits they provide to adult tobacco smokers who are looking to leave nicotine behind, the use of hemp material inherently limits the global markets in which TAAT® can be sold. We are eager to enter regions such as Asia and the Middle East, where there is evident demand for a nicotine-free and tobacco-free alternative that is better than tobacco cigarettes. However, even in markets where legalization of hemp appears to be imminent at some point in the future, it can take a matter of years to actually happen. Instead of waiting around, we have spent the past several months developing a formulation of Beyond Tobacco™ using materials other than hemp that still provide a user experience nearly identical to that of smoking a tobacco cigarette. This can enable us to launch TAAT® virtually anywhere in the world, as we continue to pursue market share in the USD $812 billion global tobacco industry.”

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

TAAT® GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC.

“Joe Deighan”

Joe Deighan, COO and Director