Rapper Wiz Khalifa has been sentenced to nine months in prison by a Romanian court for weed possession, marking a dramatic new chapter in the high-profile artist’s ongoing legal saga.
The Constanța Court of Appeal ruled on December 18, 2025 that Wiz Khalifa — born Thomaz Cameron Jibril — must serve a nine-month custodial sentence under Romania’s strict drug laws after prosecutors successfully appealed a lower court’s more lenient decision.
From Festival Stage to Courtroom
The case stems from an incident in July 2024 at the Beach, Please! music festival in the coastal resort town of Costinești, where the rapper was filmed smoking marijuana onstage and subsequently found in possession of cannabis. Romanian authorities later charged him with unlawful possession of a “risk drug” — cannabis — in violation of Law No. 143/2000, which regulates illegal drug possession.
Initially, a Constanța Tribunal judge opted for only a criminal fine (about 3,000–3,600 lei, ~ $700–$830 USD), but DIICOT — Romania’s anti-organized crime prosecutor — appealed, arguing that the offense merited imprisonment under the law. The appellate court agreed, overturning the earlier ruling and ordering a nine-month sentence with immediate enforcement.
No Further Domestic Appeals
Under Romanian legal procedures, the appellate court’s decision is final and binding, meaning there is no further avenue for appeal within the country’s justice system. Authorities also clarified the case does not involve drug trafficking, but solely possession for personal use.
International Implications and Legal Questions
At the time of sentencing, Wiz Khalifa was not in Romania, having long since left the country. Legal experts and commentators have noted that, because the rapper is a U.S. citizen residing abroad, Romanian authorities may face challenges enforcing the sentence — particularly if he remains outside the country or if diplomatic/legal mechanisms like extradition are not pursued.
The case has sparked broader discussion about how drug laws vary internationally, with Romania maintaining a comparatively strict approach to possession offenses — including cannabis — even as many Western nations and U.S. states have moved toward decriminalization or administrative penalties for small amounts.
Reaction and Next Steps
Representatives for Wiz Khalifa have indicated that his legal team is exploring options, potentially including international legal challenges, to address the sentence. It remains unclear if Romanian authorities will take steps to enforce the prison term while he is outside the country.
Fans and legal observers alike will be watching closely to see whether this high-profile case influences future conversations around international legal compliance for touring artists and the enforcement of local drug statutes abroad.
