Cannabis removed from 'hard drugs' list by Chile

The decree also authorises the sale of medicines containing marijuana derivatives

Medical marijuana is currently legal in dozens of US states

Chile has signed a decree to remove cannabis from the country’s list of hard drugs.

The decree also authorises the sale of medicines containing derivatives of the plant.

The document has not officially been published, but Associated Press obtained a copy ahead of the formal announcement.

Under the law, the sale of cannabis, as well as the planting and transporting it, will still be illegal and carry a prison sentence of five to 10 years.

Chile’s Congress will now debate the legality of the drug, and could possibly relax the laws on medical and personal use. It comes after a Chilean municipality became the first in the country to legalise medical marijuana as part of a Government-backed pilot programme to help ease the pain of cancer patients.