BUCHAREST, Romania — American rapper Wiz Khalifa was sentenced by a Romanian court Thursday to nine months in jail for drug possession, more than a year after he allegedly smoked cannabis on stage at a music festival in the Eastern European nation.
The Constanta Court of Appeal convicted Khalifa of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption” and handed down the sentence, Romania’s national news agency Agerpres reported, as confirmed by the Associated Press. The decision is final.
Khalifa was stopped by Romanian police in July 2024 after allegedly smoking cannabis on stage at the Beach, Please! Festival in Costinesti, a coastal resort in Constanta County. Prosecutors said the rapper, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, was found in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis and consumed some during his performance.
The sentence 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. Prosecutors appealed that decision and sought a higher sentence.
Judges wrote in the Constanta Court of Appeal’s written reasoning 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,” ABC Audio reported.
Khalifa “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.
It remains unclear whether Romanian authorities will seek to file an extradition request, since Khalifa is a U.S. citizen and does not reside in Romania.
The 38-year-old Pittsburgh rapper rose to prominence with his breakout mixtape “Kush + Orange Juice.” During his performance in Romania last summer, he smoked a large, hand-rolled cigarette while performing his hit “Young, Wild & Free.”
Romania maintains some of Europe’s harsher drug laws. Possession of cannabis for personal use is criminalized and can result in a prison sentence of between three months and two years, or a fine, the Associated Press stated.
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, as People.com confirmed. “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.”
Representatives for Khalifa and Romania’s anti-organized crime prosecutors’ organization, DIICOT, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The nine-month sentence represents a significant escalation from the initial fine, reflecting prosecutors’ determination to make an example of a high-profile international artist. The court’s written reasoning explicitly framing Khalifa’s conduct as “ostentatious” and socially dangerous reveals judicial concern that celebrity behavior normalizes drug use among impressionable audiences.
The judges’ language about “transmitting a message of normalisation” to the “general public” suggests Romanian courts view performers’ on-stage actions as carrying responsibilities beyond personal conduct. This philosophy treats entertainment as having pedagogical dimensions, where artists become de facto educators whose behavior influences societal attitudes, particularly among young people.
Romania’s strict drug laws place it among Europe’s more conservative nations regarding cannabis policy, contrasting sharply with Western European countries like the Netherlands, Portugal, and Germany that have decriminalized or legalized marijuana to varying degrees. For Khalifa, accustomed to performing in U.S. states where recreational cannabis is legal and culturally accepted, the cultural and legal disconnect may not have been fully apparent until Romanian authorities intervened.
The rapper’s immediate social media response acknowledging he “didn’t mean any disrespect” while promising to return “without a big ass joint next time” suggests he initially viewed the incident as a minor cultural misunderstanding rather than serious criminal conduct warranting extended incarceration. His tone—apologetic but casual—reflects the vast gulf between American cannabis culture, where marijuana references pervade hip-hop and recreational use is legal in multiple states, and Romanian legal standards treating possession as serious crime.
The prosecutors’ appeal of the initial fine demonstrates dissatisfaction with what they viewed as insufficient punishment. The $830 fine likely seemed negligible to authorities prosecuting an international celebrity whose net worth reportedly exceeds tens of millions of dollars. The appeal sought consequences proportionate to the offense’s perceived social harm rather than the defendant’s financial resources.
The final sentence’s nine-month term, while substantial, falls well below the two-year maximum Romanian law allows for cannabis possession. This middle-ground approach suggests judges sought to send a strong message without imposing the harshest possible penalty, perhaps acknowledging that Khalifa had no prior Romanian criminal history and cooperated with authorities following his arrest.
The extradition question looms as the most significant practical issue. Romania and the United States maintain an extradition treaty, but such treaties typically allow refusal for various reasons including when the offense isn’t considered serious in the requesting country. Cannabis possession, particularly in amounts just over 18 grams, would likely be a misdemeanor in many U.S. jurisdictions and is legal in numerous states.
Whether Romanian authorities will invest diplomatic and legal resources in pursuing extradition for a drug possession case remains uncertain. The political optics of seeking a celebrity’s extradition for marijuana—a substance many Americans and Europeans view as relatively harmless—could generate negative publicity for Romania, particularly if U.S. officials decline cooperation.
For Khalifa, the sentence creates uncertainty about future international touring. Artists with pending criminal sentences or convictions in foreign countries may face difficulties obtaining visas or entry permissions for other nations, potentially affecting his ability to perform globally. Even if Romania doesn’t seek extradition, the conviction could complicate his professional mobility.
The case highlights challenges international performers face navigating varying legal standards across countries. What constitutes acceptable or even celebrated behavior in one nation—marijuana consumption at a music festival in certain U.S. states or European countries—becomes criminal conduct elsewhere. Artists and their management teams must carefully research local laws before performances, particularly regarding substances that occupy contested legal and cultural spaces.
The Beach, Please! Festival, which books international acts for Romanian audiences, may reconsider its programming or provide clearer guidance to performers about local laws following this incident. The festival’s reputation could suffer if associated with criminal proceedings against headline acts, even when the festival itself bears no legal responsibility for performers’ conduct.
As the case concludes with a final sentence, Khalifa faces a conviction that will remain on his record regardless of whether he serves time in a Romanian jail. Whether this precedent affects how other international artists approach performances in Romania or similar jurisdictions with strict drug laws remains to be seen, but the high-profile nature of the case ensures performers and their representatives will take note.
AP/People.com
