Over the last several years, without many people realizing it, the U.S. government has changed the focus of its anti-drug efforts, deemphasizing marijuana in favor of prescription drugs. Advocates for marijuana legalization argue that the shift from anti-marijuana to anti-pill messages has come at least in large part because prescription and over the counter medicines are far more deadly than marijuana. "While it is the most widely used illicit drug, it is much less dangerous than prescription drugs," said Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that supports marijuana legalization. "The government is talking about the dangers of acetaminophen - this stuff is given out like candy and can kill," he said. "When you put it in that context, marijuana almost looks benign." The addictiveness of marijuana - or lack thereof - compared to other drugs is also cited by supporters.