Wiz Khalifa sentenced to nine months in prison after what he did on stage
Wiz Khalifa has been sentenced to prison time for his actions during a performance in Romania last year.
The 'Black and Yellow' rapper performed at the Beach, Please! festival in Costinești, Romania, back in July 2024, after which he was detained and charged with illegal drug possession.
Real name Cameron Jibril Thomaz, the 38-year-old was released shortly after the incident and despite an apology, local prosecutors pushed to pursue a case against the rapper.
An initial ruling from the Constanța Tribunal suggested that the North Dakota-native be handed a 3,000 lei (£516) fine, report local outlet CanCan.
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Following his release, Khalifa took to X, writing: “I didn’t mean any disrespect to the country of Romania by lighting up on stage.
"They were very respectful and let me go. I'll be back soon. But without a big a** joint next time."
The Constanța branch of Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) appealed the decision to hand the hip-hop artist a fine and won.
Having won the appeal, it meant that Khalifa would be sentenced to nine months in prison for the unlawful possession of cannabis for personal use, with the decision final under Romanian law.
He was sentenced in abstentia, though it was ruled that the artist serve the sentence in custody.
Khalifa admitted to smoking a joint during his performance, while local investigators stated that he was in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis in addition to what he had on stage.
The Constanța Court of Appeal judges said they overturned the first fine after Khalifa sent a 'message of normalisation of illegal conduct', in what they considered an 'ostentatious act'.
Currently, it is not clear if Romanian authorities would try to extradite the 'See You Again' rapper back to the European nation, though it appears that there is no serious risk of him serving the sentence at all.
Khalifa is currently in the US, having spent over two hours streaming on Twitch on Wednesday (17 December) while smoking weed.
One day prior to this, Khalifa made an appearance at Gunna's concert in Los Angeles, having collaborated on '5 Star' and Tyla Yaweh's 'All the Smoke'.
Romania has strict drug laws in place, with the use of cannabis remaining illegal for both medical and recreational use.
Over 10 years ago, the drug which is considered Class B in the UK, was classified as a 'high-risk medication' in the Eastern European nation.
It means that doctors in the country cannot prescribe cannabis to patients, but residents who get their prescriptions from medical professionals in different countries in the EU are allowed to enter Romania as long as they have the correct documents.
Illegal drug possession for personal use in Romania can land you anywhere from three months to two years behind bars, or a fine as the substance is considered a risk.
Khalifa has never been shy in sharing details about his smoking habit though, having claimed earlier this year during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he smokes up to 30 joints a day.
The artist was cited for marijuana possession at a hotel in Tennessee in May 2012, while also being caught for the same offence in North Carolina the next month for smoking on his tour bus.
The rapper was also arrested at the El Paso International Airport in 2014 by TSA agents after they found marijuana in his possession and he couldn't produce a valid ID.
He would eventually plead guilty to misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, paying a $500 (£374) fine to avoid jail time.
Topics: Prison, World News, Celebrity, Crime
Joshua Nair