Court order means D.C. man can’t smoke in own home

theGrio REPORT - Many rejoiced last month when Washington D.C. made it legal for residents to smoke marijuana in their homes.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Many rejoiced last month when Washington D.C. made it legal for residents to smoke marijuana in their homes. But a temporary decision by a Superior Court judge means one man in the District won’t be able to light up anything at his house — including cigarettes.

Edwin Gray loves a cigarette to relax, but thanks to a temporary court order, Gray can no longer light up in the Northeast D.C. home that his family has owned for over 50 years.

“We were floored,” said Gray’s sister, Mozella Johnson. She and her brother were shocked that a lawsuit filed by neighbors (who moved in last year) could now dictate what the family can do inside their home.

Watch a full report on the smoking ban below:

Court filings show the couple next door has one young child and another on the way. They claim that the smoke that sneaks into their home through a hole in the basement is harmful to them, and they want it to stop.

Last week, a judge ruled that Gray and any guests or family cannot smoke cigarettes, cigars or marijuana in their home — even if it’s legal in the city where they live.

“If this judge has done this, who will be next? What other neighbor will be next?” Johnson asked.

She and her brother are vowing to continue fighting.

“I think this is going to open the door to a lot of thinking, a lot of cases,” Washington Post columnist Benny Kass said. “I gotta believe once this comes out there’s going to be 100 cases filed in Superior Court tomorrow.”

In addition to the injunction, the couple suing Johnson and Gray is also seeking $500,000 in damages. The case is ongoing.

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