Romanian court rejects Wiz Khalifa's appeal against 9-month jail sentence for drug possession

American rapper Wiz Khalifa poses for a photo at the "Spinning Gold" file premiere at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

BUCHAREST, Romania — A Romanian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by American rapper Wiz Khalifa to annul his nine-month jail sentence handed down for drug possession in the Eastern European country.

The Constanta Court of Appeal’s decision came after Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, filed an appeal last month against the December conviction. The sentence came after Khalifa was stopped by Romanian police in July 2024 after allegedly smoking cannabis on stage at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County.

Prosecutors said the rapper was found in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis, and that he consumed some on stage.

The court convicted Khalifa of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption.”

The appeals court on Thursday rejected as inadmissible Khalifa’s appeal to annul the sentence, and ruled as unfounded a request to suspend the sentence.

The Associated Press contacted Khalifa’s representatives via email to request a comment on the latest legal developments, but has not yet received a response.

That December conviction came after a lower court in April issued Khalifa a criminal fine of 3,600 lei (US$830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs,” but prosecutors appealed that decision and sought a higher sentence.

Romania has some of the harsher drugs laws in Europe. 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.

It isn’t clear whether Romanian authorities will seek to file an extradition request, since Khalifa is a U.S. citizen and doesn’t reside in Romania.