Are NYC Construction Workers Smoking Weed On The Job?

Suspicious activity and behavior have a city wondering: are NYC construction workers smoking weed on the job? The suspicion comes after an investigation showed footage of builders taking a break to smoke what appeared to be some joints.

High Rise

New York City is about to be graced with a new skyscraper. The project comes from the developer DDG. The new skyscraper will be residential and located in the Upper East Side neighborhood in Manhattan. Upon completion, the units will be luxury condos, starting at just above three million dollars. So the pressure to make this building the best and most desirable is high.

But are the builders working on the project also high? In other words, are NYC construction workers smoking weed on the job?

According to reports, NBC I-Team investigators captured footage of construction workers taking a break (as is their right), walking to a public park a short distance from the construction site and smoking something that looked like joints. The footage shows them then walking back to the site and continuing on with their work.

In addition to the footage, the investigators reported that, yes whatever the construction workers were smoking looked like hand-rolled joints. They also, apparently, smelled like weed. The I-Team investigators weren’t the only witnesses to these occurrences. In an interview, neighborhood locals disclosed that they see–and smell– the construction workers getting high in that park every day.

“Are You Asking Me How High I Am?”

The investigators interviewed some of the builders about the matter. Some seemed fairly nonchalant about getting stoned and going back to work building a high rise. Others hid their faces and walked away from the reporters. One of the interviewed construction workers seemed like he found the situation humorous. He didn’t disclose his name, but he also apparently didn’t have any qualms about showing his face on camera and admitting to using an illicit substance. He said that he wasn’t a “rookie” at smoking weed. The NBC reporter asked him how high up on the skyscraper he worked.

“Are you asking me how high I am?” he said after a pause. “Or how high up there?”

The construction worker told the reporters that his shift had ended. Furthermore, he was not stoned at the time of the interview.

Final Hit: Are NYC Construction Workers Smoking Weed On The Job?

The project developer, DDG, declined to speak to NBC about any alleged employee drug use. However, their public relations firm released the following statement:

“We have a zero-tolerance policy and take this situation very seriously. Safety is our number one priority and we are committed to enforcing the highest standards.”

“Highest” standards indeed. Predictably, they did not answer the burning question of “are NYC construction workers smoking weed on the job?” But we can see, plain as day, that they are. There’s actual video footage of it. Investigators also brought to light some safety violations, but DDG declined to comment on the speculation that impaired workers caused them. This isn’t the first time construction workers have been caught using weed on the job. It’s a high-stress job, after all. We all have to find ways to cope.