BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court in Romania on Thursday sentenced American rapper Wiz Khalifa to nine months in prison on drug possession charges, more than a year after he participated in a music festival in the Eastern European country.
Romanian police arrested Khalifa in July 2024 after he allegedly smoked hashish on stage at the Beach, Please! Festival in Costinesti, a seaside resort in Constanta Province. Prosecutors said the rapper, whose real name is Cameron Gabriel Thomaz, was found in possession of more than 18 grams of marijuana, and that he consumed some of it on stage.
The Constanta Court of Appeal issued the ruling after convicting Khalifa of “unlawful possession of dangerous drugs for personal consumption,” according to Romanian national news agency Agerpress. The decision is final.
The decision came after a lower court in Constanta province in April fined Khalifa 3,600 lei ($830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs,” but prosecutors appealed the court’s decision and demanded a higher penalty.
Romania has some of the strictest drug laws in Europe. Possession of cannabis for personal use is an offense and can result in a prison sentence of between three months and two years or a fine.
It is not clear whether Romanian authorities will seek an extradition request, given that Khalifa is a US citizen and does not reside in Romania.
The 38-year-old Pittsburgh rapper rose to prominence with his mixtape “Kush + Orange Juice.” On stage in Romania last summer, the famous rapper smoked a large, hand-rolled cigarette while singing his song “Young, Wild & Free.”