Wiz Khalifa has been sentenced to nine months in prison by a Romanian appeals court after authorities said the US rapper smoked cannabis on stage during a festival performance last summer. The ruling escalates what had initially been a financial penalty, underscoring Romania’s strict approach to drug enforcement even when the defendant is an international celebrity.
The artist, whose real name is Thomaz Cameron Jibril, admitted to smoking a joint during his set at the Beach, Please! festival in Costinești on Romania’s Black Sea coast. The incident occurred on 13 July 2024, when police briefly detained and questioned him after the concert. Prosecutors later charged him with possession of what Romanian authorities described as “risk drugs” for personal use.
Romanian appeals court overturns fine and orders custody
According to the court decision, the Constanța Court of Appeal overturned an earlier sanction that had imposed a fine of 3,600 Romanian lei (about £619 / $829) for drug possession. Judges instead ordered a nine-month custodial sentence.
The rapper was sentenced in absentia, meaning the ruling was issued while he was not present in court. In the days surrounding the decision, he appeared publicly in the United States, including a live performance with Gunna in California. He also posted images and clips from home on the streaming platform Twitch and on social media.
Investigators cite cannabis quantity and onstage use
Romanian investigators said Wiz Khalifa possessed more than 18 grams of cannabis and consumed an additional amount during the performance. The onstage moment became central to the appeals court’s reasoning, which framed the act not only as personal possession but as public conduct with potential influence over a young audience.
Judges: “message of normalisation” aimed at young people
In a written decision, the judges said they set aside the initial fine because the artist had sent “a message of normalisation of illegal conduct,” which they argued could encourage “drug use among young people.” They described the incident as an “ostentatious act,” emphasizing that he was “a music performer, on the stage of a music festival well known among young people,” and that the audience was “predominantly made up of very young people.”
The court also highlighted that he possessed and consumed what it described as an “artisanal cigarette” in front of a large crowd, treating the public nature of the act as an aggravating factor.
Wiz Khalifa’s response and public image around cannabis
A day after the incident, Wiz Khalifa posted on X that he did not intend to offend Romania. He wrote that authorities were respectful and allowed him to leave, adding: “I’ll be back soon. But without a big ass joint next time.”
The rapper’s association with cannabis is long-standing and public. He is often pictured smoking on social media and launched his own marijuana brand in 2016, reinforcing a persona that aligns with cannabis culture in parts of the US entertainment industry.
Extradition is unlikely, experts say
Despite the custodial sentence, the practical question is whether it will ever be enforced. Romanian criminologist Vlad Zaha told BBC News that there is little-to-no chance the United States would extradite the artist to serve the sentence in Romania, calling the punishment “unusually harsh.”
He argued that the combination of the defendant’s resources, Romania’s limited leverage in extradition negotiations, and the complex legal status of cannabis in the United States makes enforcement improbable—even if Romania submits a formal request.
Legal mismatch between Romania and the US
Cannabis remains illegal under US federal law, but it is legal for recreational and medical use in a growing number of US states. That patchwork contrasts sharply with Romania’s approach, where cannabis possession and use can trigger criminal penalties and where courts may treat public consumption as a broader social harm.
The case highlights a recurring tension for global touring artists: behavior that may be normalized in one jurisdiction can become a serious legal issue in another—especially when it occurs in a public setting and is interpreted as influencing minors.
What the ruling signals for touring artists and festivals
The decision is likely to reverberate beyond Wiz Khalifa. For Romanian authorities, the emphasis on youth audiences suggests a policy posture focused on deterrence at major cultural events. For festival organizers and international performers, it is a reminder that local drug laws can be enforced aggressively, and that stage conduct—often seen as part of a performer’s brand—may carry criminal consequences.
While the sentence was delivered in absentia and enforcement appears uncertain, the ruling itself sets a clear marker: Romanian courts may escalate penalties when they believe a public figure has promoted or normalized illegal drug use in front of young crowds.
Dailyza will continue to follow whether Romanian prosecutors pursue an extradition request and how the case affects future festival policies and artist bookings in the region.