American rapper Wiz Khalifa, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, has been handed a nine-month prison sentence by a Romanian court for a drug-related offence during a live performance last year.
The decision came after prosecutors successfully appealed an earlier ruling that had imposed only a monetary fine. Initially, the Constanța Tribunal fined Khalifa 3,000 lei (about $690) for allegedly smoking cannabis while performing at a music festival in Costinești, a resort town on Romania’s Black Sea coast, in July 2024.
Khalifa was briefly detained following the incident but was later released. He issued a public apology, explaining that his actions were not meant to disrespect Romanian laws or culture.
Romanian authorities, however, argued that the offence warranted a custodial sentence. The appellate court agreed, replacing the fine with a nine-month jail term for illegal possession of a high-risk drug for personal use.
The ruling is now final under Romanian law, although it is not yet clear if authorities will pursue his extradition from the United States, where the rapper currently resides.
Romania enforces strict anti-drug laws, prohibiting cannabis for both recreational and medical purposes.
