Wiz Khalifa’s appeal dismissed, jail sentence upheld; charged with possession of dangerous drugs in Romania

The courtroom drama just got real for rapper Wiz Khalifa. What started as a wild festival moment has now turned into a serious legal headache, and the latest twist is not in his favour. A Romanian court has slammed the brakes on his attempt to dodge a jail sentence, and the verdict is now hanging heavy over the star.

On Thursday, the Constanta Court of Appeal rejected the rapper’s appeal against a nine-month prison sentence. The judges ruled that his request to cancel the sentence was inadmissible. They also said his plea to suspend the punishment had no solid ground. This decision followed his appeal filed last month after a December conviction.

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What happened on that festival stage

The legal mess goes back to July 2024. Khalifa was performing at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County when Romanian police stopped him. Authorities alleged that he smoked cannabis on stage in front of thousands of fans.

Prosecutors later said he was carrying more than 18 grams of cannabis and even used some during the show.

That single moment on stage became the centre of a criminal case.

From fine to jail sentence

Initially, things looked lighter. In April, a lower court only imposed a criminal fine of 3,600 lei (about $830) for illegal possession of drugs meant for personal use. But prosecutors were not satisfied. They pushed for a harsher punishment, and the case escalated.

By December, the conviction was upgraded, and the nine-month jail sentence came into play for “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption.”

After being detained, Khalifa publicly apologised. He said he did not mean any disrespect by consuming drugs on stage in front of a large audience. Still, the apology did not stop the legal process from moving forward.

Will he actually be jailed?

There is still one big question mark. It is unclear if authorities in Romania will request his extradition. Khalifa is a US citizen and does not live in Romania, which makes the next step legally complicated.

Romania’s drug laws are among the tougher ones in Europe. Even possession for personal use can lead to prison time ranging from three months to two years, or a fine.

Now, with the appeal rejected, the spotlight shifts to what authorities decide next.