Rapper Wiz Khalifa Arrested in Romania Over Drug Charges

Romanian authorities detained rapper Wiz Khalifa on July 13th on suspicion of narcotics crimes.

Legal trouble arose for Khalifa during the Beach Please! Festival in Romania, where he is famous for his controversial stage performances and support of medical marijuana.  He used marijuana onstage after his performance. According to the source, he was subsequently charged with illicit narcotics possession by Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).

In a press release Sunday, DIICOT announced that the prosecutors from the Constanța Territorial Service had ordered the commencement of criminal proceedings against a defendant, a US citizen, who was being investigated for the offense of unlawful possession of drugs with the potential for risk.

According to the statement, Khalifa was caught red-handed during a performance at a music festival in Constanța county’s resort of Costinești. He was found with more than 18 grams of cannabis, a dangerous substance, and reportedly ingested more cannabis on stage while disguised as a handmade cigarette.

Video of Romanian police officers removing the rapper from the event grounds has gone viral. According to reports, Khalifa received an unexpected leniency, even though the maximum penalty for the crime in Romania is ten years in jail.

Officials reportedly freed him after his interrogation. The ten-time Grammy nominee spoke out about it on social media. Khalifa said that smoking on stage was not meant to be disrespectful to Romania. They were very accommodating and released him. He will be back but next time, he won’t bring a giant joint.

A system for recreational usage does not exist in Romania. It is against the law in Romania to cultivate, own, or sell cannabis because of the drug’s illicit status. This is due to the fact that Romania has strict drug laws and a government that is determined to combat drug addiction and trafficking.

There is currently no medicinal marijuana program in Romania, and the government hasn’t introduced any legislation to legalize medical marijuana usage, even though it is already allowed.

Strict government regulation is required for the cultivation, import, and sale of cannabis for medicinal reasons.  The substance is still theoretically prohibited and regarded as high-risk, even though medical marijuana was legalized in 2013.