Dario Sabaghi

Freelance journalist interested in international news and cannabis.

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The New Arab •

Israel’s occupation, Hezbollah’s arms: A looming war in Lebanon?

On 5 October, Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces stopped a van with two people on board at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint. When searched, authorities discovered and then seized about 780 kg of explosives, including TNT and Composition C-4 plastic. The two people arrested were reportedly linked to Hezbollah. They were tasked with transporting the cargo from the Bekaa region to Beirut. The reported involvement of Hezbollah members in the explosives seizure prompted a wave of accusations from the...
The New Arab •

Can Yemen’s divided coalition turn the tide against the Houthis?

When the Houthis launched attacks along Yemen's western coast on 3 September, internationally recognised government-aligned forces were unprepared for what was the largest offensive since the ceasefire signed in 2022. Their response revealed a series of operational failures that allowed the Houthis to advance across 5,000 square kilometres, seizing the port city of Mocha, several coastal positions, and the islands of Mayyun and Hanish to gain control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Reported accou...
The New Arab •

Why Yemen’s Houthis are so difficult to fight

On 10 September, Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha during a major offensive against Yemeni government-aligned forces. The group then advanced south, reportedly reaching the coastal town of Dhubab on 11 September, before moving against strategic islands near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, including Mayun, also known as Perim, and the Hanish Islands. These gains have strengthened Houthi control along Yemen’s western coast and near the southern entrance to...
Forbes •

How The Netherlands’ Cannabis Pilot Is Reshaping Coffeeshops’ Supply Chain

A new study on the Netherlands’ pilot to allow coffeeshops to sell cannabis through a legal supply chain has shed light on how the industry is reacting to this new way of selling cannabis.The study highlights that the stakeholders involved—including municipalities, coffeeshops, growers, consumers, and people living near coffeeshops—are responding positively to the pilot, with some shifts in consumer behavior and sales dynamics. However, the illicit market is far from disappearing.The pilot, whic...
Forbes •

Cannabis Overtakes Cigarette Smoking In Gallup’s Latest U.S. Habits Poll

Americans who say they smoke cannabis have overtaken those who say they smoke cigarettes, according to Gallup's latest poll on U.S. habits, reinforcing a broader trend of cannabis gaining favor over tobacco and alcohol.Gallup's latest Consumption Habits poll, released earlier this week, found that 17% of Americans say they smoke cannabis, matching the record-high share first recorded in 2023. That figure is up 10 percentage points from 2013, when Gallup first asked the question and found that 7%...
Forbes •

CBG Shows Early Promise For Memory Deficits

While not as popular as THC and CBD, cannabigerol (CBG) has properties that a new study suggests may reduce a schizophrenia-like memory deficit.CBG is one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Like CBD, it is generally considered non-intoxicating. Its acidic form, CBGA, is converted by plant enzymes into the precursors of THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. Heat or aging can then convert those acidic compounds into their neutral forms. Mature cannabis generally contains relativ...
The New Arab •

What is the future of US military bases in the Gulf?

For over four decades, US bases in the Gulf have aimed to deter threats, provide security guarantees to regional allies, and project power across the Middle East. But the war with Iran is now casting doubt on their future. The US and Israel’s war with Iran, which began on 28 February, has led to Iranian retaliatory attacks against US bases and assets in the Gulf, exposing their vulnerability and transforming them from strategic assets for Gulf states into targets. As US-Iran tensions grow, wi...
Forbes •

Canada Invests $24 Million To Study Impact Of Cannabis On Brain Health

Canada's health ministry this week announced a $24 million investment in research examining how cannabis use affects users' brain health.The investment, made through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), will establish the Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium, described as "Canada's first national cannabis and brain health research consortium.”The initiative comes as researchers confront a situation in which many Canadian adults report using cannabis without serious adverse...
Forbes •

CDC’s New Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Code Drives Reported Case Surge

A new diagnostic code, not a sudden outbreak, is behind a nearly fourfold spike in emergency-room visits for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighting that the condition has long been underestimated.Emergency departments (EDs) had no dedicated code for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition marked by cycles of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain tied to long-term cannabis use. They used to rely instead on a combination of broader d...
Forbes •

FDA-Approved Synthetic THC Reduces Nightmares In PTSD Patients, Study Finds

Dronabinol, a synthetic THC medication, has shown promising results in reducing the intensity of nightmares among people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study—potentially alleviating one of the condition's most intrusive hallmarks.Findings published this week in the journal Nature Medicine by a group of German researchers show that dronabinol, the synthetic THC-based drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has a positive effect on sleep in PTSD pati...
Forbes •

Cannabis Use Climbs As Alcohol And Cigarette Use Decline, Survey Shows

Despite being still illegal at the federal level, cannabis use is growing among Americans while alcohol and cigarette use are declining, according to a new federal survey. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and published this week, shows past-month cannabis use rose from 13.2% in 2021 to 15.1% in 2025, while both alcohol and cigarette use declined over the same period, from 47.4% to 44.4% and from 16.0% to...
Forbes •

Senate Introduces Bill To Shield Insurers Covering Cannabis Businesses

Two Senators have introduced a bipartisan bill that would provide a safe harbor for insurance companies that cover legal cannabis businesses, as insurers fear federal prosecution due to the federal illegality of the substance.Kevin Cramer, Republican Senator for North Dakota, and Rubén Marinelarena Gallego, Democratic Senator for Arizona, introduced last week the Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act, a bill to protect insurance companies from covering cannabis-related busines...
The New Arab •

The Middle East’s race to bypass the Strait of Hormuz

Countries across the Middle East are rushing to develop alternative pipelines and trade routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, as uncertainty over the waterway's future exposes the risks of relying on a single energy chokepoint. Over the past two weeks, the US has been conducting fresh attacks against Iran, despite the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in June to reopen the strait and negotiate for a final peace deal. Iran has retaliated against the US by targeting its milita...
Forbes •

Curaleaf Becomes First To Supply Medical Cannabis Under Spain's New Law

Curaleaf has become the first cannabis company to provide cannabis preparation under Spain’s new medical cannabis law, giving the U.S. company a first-mover advantage in the country and positioning it more strongly in the European pharma medical cannabis market. The company announced this week that the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices approved the registration of two standardized THC-dominant and CBD-dominant cannabis preparations developed by Medalchemy, Curaleaf's Spanish manufa...
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