FILE – American rapper Wiz Khalifa poses for a photo at the premiere of “Spinning Gold” at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
On Thursday, a Romanian court rejected the appeal filed by American rapper Wiz Khalifa to overturn his nine-month prison sentence for drug possession in the Eastern European country.The decision by the Constanta Court of Appeal came after Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Djibril Thomaz, filed an appeal last month against the December conviction.
The ruling came after Romanian police arrested Khalifa in July 2024 after he allegedly smoked hashish on stage at the beach, please! Festival in Constanta Province.Prosecutors said the rapper was found in possession of more than 18 grams of marijuana, and that he consumed some of it on stage.The court convicted Khalifa of “unlawfully possessing dangerous drugs for personal consumption.” On Thursday, the Court of Appeal rejected Khalifa’s appeal to overturn the ruling, deeming it inadmissible, and ruling that the request to suspend the ruling was unfounded.The Associated Press contacted Khalifa’s representatives via email to request comment on the latest legal developments, but has not yet received a response.The December conviction came after a lower court sentenced Khalifa in April to a criminal fine of 3,600 lei ($830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs,” but prosecutors appealed that decision and demanded a higher sentence.Romania has some of the strictest drug laws in Europe. Possession of cannabis for personal use is an offense and can result in a prison sentence of between three months and two years or a fine.It is not clear whether Romanian authorities will seek an extradition request, given that Khalifa is a US citizen and does not reside in Romania.
