American rapper Wiz Khalifa has been sentenced to nine months in jail by a Romanian court for drug possession. The incident occurred over a year after his performance at the Beach, Please! Festival in Costinesti, Romania, where he was stopped by police for allegedly smoking cannabis on stage.
Romanian prosecutors reported that Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, was found with more than 18 grams of cannabis and was observed consuming it during the festival. The Constanta Court of Appeal issued the sentence after he was found guilty of possessing dangerous drugs for personal use, and this ruling is final.
Initially, Khalifa received a fine of 3,600 lei (approximately $1,140 Cdn) in April from a lower court in Constanta County for illegal drug possession. However, prosecutors appealed for a higher penalty, leading to the recent jail sentence.
Romania has strict drug laws, with possession of cannabis for personal use punishable by imprisonment ranging from three months to two years, or a fine. It remains uncertain if Romanian authorities will pursue extradition, given Khalifa’s U.S. citizenship and lack of residency in Romania.
The 38-year-old rapper from Pittsburgh gained fame with his mixtape “Kush + Orange Juice” and was seen smoking a large cigarette on stage in Romania while performing his popular song “Young, Wild & Free.”