Romanian Court Sentences Wiz Khalifa to 9 Months for Cannabis

A Romanian appeals court has sentenced American rapper Wiz Khalifa to nine months in prison for possessing cannabis during a music festival performance last summer, upholding prosecutors' push for jail time over an earlier fine.

The Constanța Court of Appeal issued the ruling on Thursday, convicting the 37-year-old artist, whose real name is Cameron Thomaz, of unlawful possession of dangerous drugs for personal use. The decision reverses a lower court's April ruling that had imposed only a criminal fine of about 3,600 lei, or roughly $800. Prosecutors from Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, successfully argued for a custodial sentence under the country's strict narcotics laws, which treat cannabis possession as a criminal offense punishable by three months to two years in prison or a fine.

The case stems from July 2024, when Khalifa performed at the Beach Please! Festival in Costinești, a Black Sea coastal resort in Constanța County. During his set, the performer lit and smoked a joint on stage while singing hits like "Young, Wild & Free," which references marijuana use. Police arrested him shortly after the show and...