American hip-hop star Wiz Khalifa is confronting a serious legal battle in Eastern Europe, with a Romanian court sentencing him to a potential nine-month prison term for a marijuana-related offence.
Court Upheld Prosecutors' Appeal for Custodial Sentence
The legal situation escalated on Thursday, December 18, when Romania’s Constanța Court of Appeal made a decisive ruling. The court upheld an appeal filed by the DIICOT Constanța Territorial Service, a state prosecutor's office. This appeal successfully argued for a custodial sentence, overturning a previous judgment that had only imposed a fine.
The initial penalty was a financial one, set at 3,000 Romanian lei (approximately 700 US dollars). The latest court decision has replaced that fine with the threat of incarceration, marking a significant hardening of the rapper's legal predicament.
Incident Stemmed from Festival Performance in July 2024
The case originates from an event in the summer of July 2024. Wiz Khalifa was performing at the popular Beach Please Festival in Costinești. During his set, while dancing to the classic Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg track "The Next Episode," the rapper was visibly smoking what authorities identified as marijuana on stage.
This act led to his immediate arrest and brief detention by Romanian officials. The country enforces some of the continent's strictest drug laws, which unequivocally criminalise both the possession and the use of cannabis, regardless of the context.
Legal Fight Continues as Team Files Appeal
This recent ruling is not yet final. Sources close to the case confirm that Wiz Khalifa's legal team has already initiated the appeal process. Their objective is to secure an alternative outcome and avoid the prison sentence.
However, legal experts observing the case caution that the appeal may face considerable hurdles. Romania maintains a firm stance with tough penalties for drug-related offences, and courts are often unwavering in their application of these laws. The coming weeks will be critical as his lawyers work to overturn this severe judgment.
