Rap superstar Wiz Khalifa, born Cameron Thomaz, has been hit with a nine-month prison sentence in Romania.
An appellate court flipped a lower court’s earlier call that had let the 38-year-old Pittsburgh native walk away with a fine, according to court records cited by local outlet Cancan.
The Constanța Court of Appeal upheld an appeal filed by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT, through its Constanța Territorial Service, partially overturning a ruling issued by the Constanța Tribunal. That earlier decision imposed a criminal fine of 3,000 Romanian lei. On appeal, judges ruled that a custodial sentence was “warranted under Romanian law,” sending the case into much harser territory.
Court minutes cited by Cancan show Khalifa was convicted under Law No. 143/2000 for what the statute defines as “unlawful possession of dangerous drugs for personal use.” The appellate ruling is final and binding, closing the door on further challenges under Romania’s criminal procedure rules.
The case dates back to 2024. The “Black and Yellow” hitmaker was briefly detained during legal proceedings and later released without being remanded into custody. Romanian authorities were quick to draw a line around the charges, stressing that the case did not involve drug trafficking. Instead, prosecutors framed it squarely as possession for personal use — an offense that carries a statutory penalty ranging from three months to two years in prison or a fine.
That distinction mattered little on appeal. By rejecting the fine-only sentence, the appellate court signaled that celebrity status offers no shield in Romania’s drug laws.. Under Law No. 143/2000, possession offenses remain firmly criminalized, even as other jurisdictions rethink similar conduct.
Khalifa’s sentencing has reignited debate around Romania’s hardline approach, especially when stacked against shifts elsewhere. Countries such as Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands have moved toward decriminalization or administrative penalties for small-quantity possession. In parts of the United States, similar conduct has been reduced to civil infractions or legalized outright.
Romania, however, continues to enforce tougher sanctions, and the court’s ruling makes that stance unmistakable. As the appellate panel made clear by reinstating prison time, the law leaves no leniency once a conviction is entered. Wiz’s public image has long been intertwined with marijuana culture.
For Wiz Khalifa, the decision lands as a stark reminder that international tours and global branding don’t change local law.
