American rapper, Wiz Khalifa, has been sentenced to nine months in prison in Romania after admitting to smoking cannabis during a live performance.
9news Nigeria reports that the incident took place at the ‘Beach, Please! Festival’ in Costinesti last year.
A Romanian appeals court cancelled a previous fine of 3,600 lei and ruled that the rapper must serve his sentence in custody.
The sentence was handed down in absentia, as Wiz Khalifa was seen performing in California with Gunna earlier this week and sharing updates from home on social media and Twitch.
Authorities had detained and questioned him briefly after the concert on July 13, 2024.
Romanian prosecutors charged him with possession of drugs for personal use, saying he had over 18 grams of cannabis and smoked part of it on stage.
The court described his actions as a public display of illegal activity in front of a mostly young audience.
Officials said this could encourage drug use among youth and labelled the act as deliberate and attention-seeking.
Romanian criminologist Vlad Zaha told BBC there is almost no chance that the United States will extradite Khalifa to Romania, describing the prison sentence as very harsh.
Zaha explained that several factors make extradition unlikely, including the defendant’s wealth and strong connections, Romania’s weak position when it comes to negotiating extradition, and the legal and political situation surrounding cannabis in the United States.
He added that even though Romanian authorities plan to submit a formal request to the US, it is unlikely that Wiz Khalifa will be sent to Constanța to serve the prison term.
The rapper is based in the US, where cannabis is legal in several states, and he has strong legal and political connections.
Romanian authorities can formally request extradition, but it is expected to be denied.
Wiz Khalifa, known for hits like Black and Yellow, See You Again, and Young, Wild & Free, has been open about cannabis use on social media and owns a marijuana brand launched in 2016.
