So, at first, we were like no way. The creativity took me to a level of school yard fun at first glance. The advertisement was priceless. Hot Head Grabba offered a luxurious smoking experience, featuring 3.5 grams of premium organic tobacco leaf per bottle. These premium-grade tobacco leaves are carefully cut into convenient strips, perfect for use as a binder or filler when rolling spliffs, blunts, or cigars, but this was short lived.
A Morningside Heights smoke shop advertised selling HotHead brand Grabba, Feb. 26, 2024. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
After several abrupt case studies, a Brooklyn Tobacco Factory was hit with worker safety probes by Federal and State Agencies. The complaints were through the roof after a while with the HotHead Grabba product. There was an exposure by CITY leads to Occupational Health and Safety Administration and state Department of Labor investigations. Workers allege they were getting sick working 13-hour days for subminimum pay.