According to the government branch that regulates medicine, a chemical compound found in marijuana can now be used for medicinal purposes.

A spokesman for the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare said “We have come to the opinion that products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are a medicine.”

CBD is one of dozens of chemical compounds found in marijuana. It is nonpsychoactive so it does not produce the “high” sensation associated with THC. In addition, a growing body of research has shown significant promise for using CBD to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including some forms of cancer, irritable bowel diseases, depression, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The marijuana plant is still a class-B drug not recognized to have medical value in the U.K., and people found in possession of it can still face prison time unfortunately.

Michael Collins, deputy director for the Drug Policy Alliance, says “It’s definitely a positive development,” but he cautioned that measures pertaining only to CBD can be too limiting for patients

CBD helps to reduce nausea and vomiting, suppresses seizure activity, combats inflammation disorders, and combats neurodegenerative effects. CBD is an appealing option for patients – who suffer from inflammation, pain, anxiety, psychosis, seizures – who want to suppress some medical disorders, but want to not experience the psychoactive feeling.

More than a dozen states in the U.S. have enacted permissions for CBD in treating debilitating diseases. Because these states generally don’t allow for regulated sales or cultivation of the plant, patients are often forced to seek out marijuana from sources like the black market, or from a state that allows out-of-state patients to purchase medical marijuana.

Marijuana remains banned at the federal level and is still considered to have no “accepted medical use,” after the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration recently decided to keep the plant on the U.S. government’s list of “most dangerous” narcotics, as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin and LSD. It’s possible the UK may be becoming more lenient to the medical marijuana stance in contrast to the United States.