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Wiz Khalifa has been handed a nine-month prison sentence in Romania over a weed possession case stemming from his 2024 festival appearance, though the rapper is actively appealing the ruling and has not begun serving any jail time.
The decision was issued this week by Romania's Constanța Court of Appeal, which upheld an appeal filed by the country's organized crime prosecutors, DIICOT Constanța Territorial Service. The ruling overturned an earlier judgment that had imposed only a criminal fine of 3,000 lei, roughly $700.
The case dates back to July 2024, when the American artist — whose real name is Thomaz Cameron Jibril — performed at the Beach Please! Festival in Costinești, a seaside resort town. During his set, Wiz Khalifa lit a joint on stage while dancing to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's "The Next Episode." He was arrested shortly after the performance, briefly detained, and later released without being held in custody.
According to Romanian court records, the conviction relates strictly to possession of drugs for personal use, not trafficking or distribution. Under Romanian law, such an offense can carry penalties ranging from three months to two years in prison or a fine. While many European countries and several U.S. states have decriminalized small-scale cannabis possession, Romania continues to enforce strict drug laws.
Sources close to the rapper told TMZ Hip Hop that "nothing is set in stone just yet," confirming that his legal team is in the process of appealing the sentence. Although the Court of Appeal described its decision as final under Romanian law, further legal avenues remain available, including challenges related to enforcement.
Wiz Khalifa remains in the United States. While Romania and the U.S. have an extradition treaty, extradition is not automatic and depends on factors such as dual criminality and prosecutorial discretion. At this stage, no indication has been given that extradition proceedings have been initiated.
The ruling reverses what had initially been treated as a relatively minor offense, marking a significant escalation in the case. Romanian prosecutors argued that the law must be applied uniformly, regardless of an individual's public profile.
Khalifa, who has long been open about marijuana use as part of his public image and music career, has not commented publicly on the ruling. His team continues to seek an alternative resolution as the appeals process moves forward.
