A high school buddy made a fortune as the CEO of a company that owned a chain of laundries. We were also briefly college classmates and I remember something he told us in speech class some forty-odd years ago. Memory is subject to something called first and recent. If someone is presenting you with a list of points, you’re most likely to remember the first and the last. Everything in between doesn’t have quite the same impact.
I still remember his presentation, if not all the details, and I was reminded of it when I came across a story about the prolonged use of marijuana. I’ve been citing these pieces in a series of posts and you can imagine the pot puffers don’t like being confronted with scientific research that suggests their sacrament isn’t healthy. You can check out the latest piece I’m referencing by clicking here.
Good or Bad Results?
There are five points explaining what daily marijuana smoking does to you. The writer ensures number one is positive. It might ease chronic pain. We should point out that it also leaves open the door that dope might not help with the pain.
Two, three, and four are bad. Really bad news. Then number five. It says smoking marijuana could impact your ability when you drive a car. No!!! Say it isn’t so! The writer doesn’t say it will impact how you drive.
No, You Shouldn’t Drive Stoned
Getting back to my old friend’s point about what we remember. First and last. Heavy users will also employ confirmation bias and argue it eases pain and doesn’t diminish their skills behind the wheel. Will they ignore the middle three bullet points? Things about heart and breathing troubles?
This is subtle propaganda. It’s a slightly veiled bias on the part of the presenter at Eat This, Not That.
LOOK: What are the odds that these 50 totally random events will happen to you?
LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs
To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet’s phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.
Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.
