"Illegal in Canada since 1923, marijuana is the most controversial of banned drugs. Because it lacks the same addictive and harmful qualities as other illegal substances, such as heroin and cocaine, its social impact is a matter for debate. In the 1960s, many Canadians began demanding changes to the Narcotics Control Act that would decriminalize or legalize the possession of marijuana." "In Not This Time, Marcel Martel explores the recreational use of marijuana in the 1960s and its emergence as a topic of social debate. He demonstrates how the media, interest groups, state institutions, bureaucrats, and politicians influenced the development and implementation of public policy on drugs. Martel illustrates how two loose coalitions made up of interest groups, addiction research organizations, and bureaucrats - one supporting existing legislation, and the other favouring liberalization of the Narcotics Control Act - dominated the debate over the legalization of marijuana. Those favouring liberalized drug laws, while influential, had difficulty presenting a unified front and had problems justifying their cause while the effects of marijuana use on health were still in question. Exploring both sides of the debate, Martel presents the history of a controversial issue that continues to reverberate in the minds of Canadians."--Jacket.