File photo of Michelle Bachelet. (Reuters)
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has signed a decree that removes marijuana from the country's list of hard drugs.
The decree also authorizes the sale of cannabis-derived medicines at pharmacies.
The document hasn't been published officially, but a copy was obtained Friday by The Associated Press.
Planting, selling and transporting marijuana remains illegal in Chile and carries prison terms of 5-10 years. But Congress is expected to soon debate wider changes to Chile's drug law.
Chile is joining an international trend of easing restrictions on marijuana for medical or personal use.
A Chilean municipality began planting the country's first legal medical marijuana in October 2014 as part of a government-approved pilot program aimed at helping ease the pain endured by cancer patients.