Wiz Khalifa has found himself in some hot water overseas, with the rapper reportedly sentenced to nine months in a Romanian jail following a drug possession case stemming from a festival performance last year.
According to Romanian prosecutors, Khalifa (real name Cameron Jibril Thomaz) was stopped by police in July after allegedly smoking cannabis onstage during his set at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County. Authorities claim he was found in possession of more than 18 grams of cannabis, and that some of it had been consumed mid-performance – a move that might fly at plenty of festivals elsewhere, but very much doesn’t in Romania.
Wiz Khalifa – ‘Roll It Up Freestyle’
Khalifa was formally charged with “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption”, per Romanian outlet Agerpres. He was initially hit with a relatively modest fine of 3,600 lei (roughly $830 AUD), however prosecutors appealed that decision, pushing for a harsher penalty – which has now resulted in the nine-month jail sentence.
There’s a pretty big caveat, though. Wiz doesn’t live in Romania, meaning authorities would need to formally request extradition from the United States for that sentence to be enforced. At the time of writing, there’s been no public confirmation on whether that step will actually be taken, or how likely it is to happen.
Still, it’s a wild reminder that what might seem like business-as-usual on a festival stage in one country can carry very different consequences in another. For now, it remains to be seen whether Wiz Khalifa’s Romanian saga goes any further – but it’s definitely not the kind of overseas tour story artists usually hope to come home with.
Further Reading
Wiz Khalifa Welcomes Second Child, Daughter Kaydence
Dozens Injured After Barrier Collapses At Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Concert
Wiz Khalifa Got Arrested At An Airport For Riding A Hover Board
