Colombian Minister of Health Alejandro Gaviria on Thursday announced that the government will issue a decree that will regulate the use of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes.

President Juan Manuel Santos told BBC Mundo in a statement that the decree would be signed in the coming days. He also told that growing, distribution and selling cannabis will remain illegal in the country.

It has been known that the South American country suspended spraying of illegal crops this year, citing cancer concerns related to the herbicide glyphosate.

As per the current law in the country a person can have possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana or 20 marijuana plants for personal use. Researchers through a new study showed that 11.5% of Colombians have used marijuana at least once.

The government also said that some of the foreign companies are also interested in producing and selling cannabis.

So far the country said it has no plans to fully legalize marijuana for recreational consumption or commercial sale, however, unlike in Uruguay, which legalized it in 2013. Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Israel and some US states already allow medical cannabis use.

Colombia which since long has been a hub for narcotics production and trafficking was also home to some large marijuana cultivations. Most of the cultivated crop was smuggled to the United States before drug cartels began producing the more profitable cocaine.

Several previously conducted studied have shown that marijuana can help to treat pain and nausea. It also offers relief to patients battling with epilepsy and several other conditions.