Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Wiz Khalifa arrested for marijuana possession: Rapper shares his experience with a 'jail selfie'

The rapper was detained for travelling with marijuana

Ella Alexander
Monday 26 May 2014 11:11 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa was arrested yesterday (25 May) for marijuana possession, after security stopped the musician at El Paso airport, Texas.

He was jailed for a few hours, consequently delaying the release of his mixtape, 28 Grams. He was charged with misdemeanour possession of 0.5 grams of pot, according to a statement, and released on a bond of $300 (£178).

Khalifa – who was in El Paso to perform at Neon Desert music festival this weekend – was initially stopped because Transportation Security Administration discovered that he was travelling without identification.

“[This] led to him being sent for secondary screening,” officials explained.

“During that screening, the TSA officer located a metal container inside of the backpack which contained a prohibited item.”

Wiz Khalifa's booking photo for El Paso Police Department
Wiz Khalifa's booking photo for El Paso Police Department

While he was detained, the rapper whiled away the time by tweeting about his experience – in which he managed to see the lighter side of the situation and even sharing a selfie in what appears to be a cell, launching the hashtag #FreeTrapWiz.

Wiz Khalifa's "jail selfie" as he captioned the picture
Wiz Khalifa's "jail selfie" as he captioned the picture

His next few shows will see him play in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the UK.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in