Santiago de Chile, December 9 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Chile has signed a decree that will remove marijuana from its list of “hard drugs,” approving its use for medicinal purposes and leaving the door open to discussions about further legalizing the substance.

The approval for medicinal uses of marijuana, reportedly included in the new bill, allows for the sale of medical products that contain cannabis and is seen by many as a giant step in the direction of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.

Last year, one Chilean municipality started planting the country's first ever legal medical marijuana plants as part of a government approved pilot project to help cancer patients suffering from pain.

However, despite the move toward legalizing medical marijuana, Chile continues to have harsh drug laws. Planting, selling and moving marijuana is still illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The Chilean government is now expected to discuss extensive changes to these laws.

President Michelle Bachelet has not yet announced the new measure, but the bill was made public after news agencies received a copy of it.