Wiz Khalifa’s prison sentence in Romania has been overturned after a Bucharest court canceled the rapper’s nine-month jail term stemming from a 2024 marijuana incident at a music festival.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled on November 3, 2026, in favor of the rapper, whose legal name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, granting his extraordinary legal challenge and canceling the prison sentence issued in December 2025. The court also annulled the warrant authorizing authorities to enforce that sentence.
While the decision removes his existing prison term, Wiz Khalifa’s legal battle is far from over. Romanian prosecutors will get another opportunity to argue their case when the appeal is reheard on November 12.
The situation dates back to July 2024, when Khalifa performed at the Beach, Please! Festival in Costinești, a coastal resort town along Romania’s Black Sea.
During his performance, the rapper appeared to smoke marijuana onstage, drawing the attention of local law enforcement. Romanian authorities subsequently detained him for questioning over suspected illegal drug possession.
Prosecutors alleged that Khalifa possessed 18.53 grams of cannabis and a cannabis cigarette while attending the festival. The incident resulted in criminal proceedings under Romania’s drug laws, which prohibit unauthorized possession of cannabis, including for personal use.
Despite the encounter with police, Khalifa was released and allowed to leave Romania.
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Following the incident, he addressed the situation publicly on X, explaining that he had not intended to offend anyone.
“Last nights show was amazing. I didn’t mean any disrespect to the country of Romania by lighting up on stage. They were very respectful and let me go. I’ll be back soon,” he wrote in July 2024.
He also joked about returning without bringing another large marijuana joint.
The incident became a legal headache for the Pittsburgh rapper, who has openly embraced cannabis throughout his career and frequently references marijuana in his music.
However, Romania has significantly stricter marijuana regulations than many parts of the United States, where recreational cannabis has been legalized in several states.
Under Romanian law, unauthorized possession of cannabis for personal consumption can carry a punishment ranging from three months to two years in prison or a criminal fine. The country’s legal system classifies cannabis as a risk drug.
In October 2024, prosecutors formally pursued charges against Khalifa for illegal possession of cannabis for personal use.
The case initially appeared headed toward a financial penalty rather than incarceration.
In April 2025, the Constanța Tribunal ordered Khalifa to pay a criminal fine of 3,600 Romanian lei, approximately $830 at the time.
Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, challenged that decision and sought a tougher punishment.
Their appeal proved successful.
On December 18, 2025, the Constanța Court of Appeal replaced the original fine with a nine-month prison sentence.
The ruling raised questions about whether Romanian authorities might attempt to pursue the American rapper internationally, particularly because Khalifa resides in the United States rather than Romania.
There was no confirmed extradition effort at the time, and the latest court decision has now eliminated the enforcement warrant associated with that sentence.
Khalifa’s attorneys continued challenging the conviction through a special legal procedure known as a contestation for annulment, which allows certain court decisions to be reconsidered when specific legal grounds exist.
His legal team also requested that the proceedings be moved away from Constanța. Romania’s highest court subsequently transferred the matter to the Bucharest Court of Appeal.
That legal effort resulted in the November 3 decision canceling the previous prison judgment.
The latest ruling does not amount to an acquittal or a determination that Khalifa committed no offense. Instead, it returns the prosecution’s appeal to the court for another hearing, reopening the question of what punishment, if any, should apply.
According to Romanian court reporting, the next hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2026, at 4 p.m. local time.
Judicial officials are also making arrangements for Khalifa to participate through a video connection, potentially allowing him to appear without traveling to Romania.
The rapper, known for hits including “Black and Yellow,” “See You Again,” and “Young, Wild & Free,” has not publicly outlined his next legal steps following the latest decision.
