South Korea will start importing medical cannabis starting next month, said health authorities on Tuesday. 

South Korea became the first East Asian country to legalize marijuana for medical use in November 2018, when its national assembly approved amending a narcotics bill to allow for non-hallucinogenic doses of medical marijuana. 

The law will go into effect on March 12, announced officials. 

The relaxation in rules is part of an effort to expand treatment options for patients with rare diseases, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and symptoms of HIV/AIDS, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). 

Patients will have to apply to the Korea Orphan and Essential Drug Center for approval. The process includes a doctor's diagnosis, medical records and a doctor's note stating that there is no alternative treatment in South Korea. 

Only four types of drugs derived from cannabis substances that have been approved for sale in the U.S. and Europe will be imported. 

The move marks a shift in policy, as the country has banned all imports, exports and production of marijuana for 50 years. 

However, outside of medical marijuana, South Korea still has strict laws for drug use and has even said it would punish citizens who broke their drug laws while abroad. “Weed smokers will be punished according to Korean law, even if they did so in countries where smoking marijuana is legal. There won't be an exception,” said Yoon Se-jin, head of the narcotics crime investigation division at Gyeonggi Nambu provincial police agency, according to the Korea Times.