American Rapper Wiz Khalifa Loses Appeal of 9-Month Romanian Prison Sentence

A Romanian appeals court has upheld American rapper Wiz Khalifa's nine-month prison sentence for marijuana possession. The conviction stems from an incident at a music festival where authorities say he smoked cannabis on stage and was found with more than 18 grams of the drug.

BUCHAREST, Romania — An appeals court in Romania has upheld a nine-month prison sentence for American hip-hop artist Wiz Khalifa following his conviction on drug possession charges in the Eastern European nation.

The Constanta Court of Appeal ruled Thursday against the rapper, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, who had sought to overturn his December conviction. His legal troubles began when Romanian authorities detained him in July 2024 for allegedly using marijuana while performing at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County.

According to prosecutors, law enforcement discovered Khalifa carrying over 18 grams of cannabis and determined he had used some of the substance during his stage performance.

The court found Khalifa guilty of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption.”

Thursday’s appellate ruling dismissed Khalifa’s challenge to void the conviction as inadmissible and denied his request to postpone serving the sentence as without merit.

The Associated Press reached out to Khalifa’s management team for comment regarding the court’s latest decision but has not received a reply.

The December sentencing followed an earlier ruling in April when a lower court had imposed a fine of 3,600 lei (approximately $830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs.” However, prosecutors challenged that lighter penalty and pursued a more severe punishment.

The country maintains strict anti-drug legislation compared to other European nations. Romanian law treats personal cannabis possession as a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment ranging from three months to two years, or monetary penalties.

Whether Romanian officials will pursue extradition proceedings remains uncertain, given that Khalifa holds American citizenship and lives outside Romania.