What began as a high-energy music festival performance has now turned into a serious legal reckoning for American rapper Wiz Khalifa.
More than a year after his arrest in Romania, the 38-year-old artist has been sentenced to nine months in prison over illegal drug possession linked to a live concert appearance.
According to court records, Khalifa whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz was headlining the popular “Beach, Please!” festival in Costinesti in July 2024 when he allegedly carried over 18 grams of cannabis and consumed some of it openly on stage. The incident quickly drew the attention of local authorities and sparked widespread debate.
On December 18, the Constanta Court of Appeal overturned a lighter penalty and handed down the prison sentence, convicting the rapper of possessing dangerous drugs for personal use. In a strongly worded judgment, the court stressed that Khalifa’s public actions risked glamorising and normalising drug use, particularly among young fans.
Judges described his behavior as a public display that “significantly amplified the social danger” of the offence and sent an implicit message of tolerance toward illegal drug consumption.
The ruling came after prosecutors challenged an earlier decision from April 2025, when a lower court had imposed only a 3,600 lei ($830) fine. Authorities argued the punishment failed to reflect the seriousness of the act, especially given the scale of the event and its influence on youth culture.
Shortly after the incident, Khalifa addressed the controversy on social media, insisting he had no intention of disrespecting Romania. In a post shared on X, he praised the crowd and organisers, adding that while he planned to return to the country, he would do so “without a big joint next time.”
As Khalifa is a U.S. citizen who does not reside in Romania, it remains uncertain whether Romanian authorities will pursue extradition to enforce the sentence leaving the final chapter of this case still unresolved.
