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Wiz Khalifa has been sentenced to nine months in a Romanian jail, over a year after he was arrested and charged with illegal drug possession, the Associated Press has reported, citing Romania’s national news agency, Agerpres.
The rapper, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, 38, was headlining the “Beach, Please!” festival in Costinesti, Romania, in July 2024, when he allegedly had more than 18 grams of cannabis in his possession and consumed some on stage.
The Constanta Court of Appeal handed down the sentence on Thursday, Dec. 18, after Khalifa was convicted of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption,” according to the AP, citing Agerpress.
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PEOPLE has reached out to the Romanian anti-organized crime prosecutors’ organization, DIICOT, and Khalifa’s rep for comment.
The decision, which is final per Agerpress, came months after a lower court in Constanta County issued Khalifa a criminal fine of 3,600 lei ($830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs” in April 2025. Prosecutors appealed the court’s decision and sought a higher sentence.
According to ABC Audio, the judges wrote in the written reasoning of the Constanta Court of Appeal that the sentence was intended to set an example, arguing that the “Black and Yellow” hitmaker “represents ostentatious conduct that significantly amplifies the social danger of the offence.”
He “transmitted to the general public a message of normalisation of illegal conduct, tacitly encouraging tolerance of, and implicitly the consumption of, drugs among young people,” the judges added.
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Shortly after his July 2024 performance, Khalifa addressed the situation in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), noting that he “didn’t mean any disrespect” by smoking marijuana onstage.
“Last nights show was amazing,” Khalifa wrote. “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 ass joint next time.”
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Since Khalifa is a U.S. citizen and does not reside in Romania, it is unclear whether Romanian authorities will seek to file an extradition request.
