Thai government urged its citizens to grow cannabis plants at home to use as alternative medicine.

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine launched the two-day event to teach villagers about the practical uses of marijuana in Buriram province on February 12.

Footage shows the Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul attending with other officials.

Dozens of interested farmers travelled from the other districts to attend the seminar and learn the basics of growing the controversial plant.

Each Thai household is allowed to legally grow up to six plants which they can use as a home remedy.

The seminar was attended by farmers from around the country to learn how to care for the controversial plant.

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Health, said cannabis could also be beneficial to the country’s economic growth.

He said: ‘I believe that the cannabis plant will help the economy to grow especially, on the community level. It is one of those few plants in which all of its parts are useful in making something.’

Cannabis leaves, branches and roots can be used to make alternative medicine, food, herbal products and cosmetics while its bark, stems and fibre could be used in making textiles and paper.

Anutin added that in the future, they will gather different Cannabis varieties which will be allowed to grown on a larger scale by farmers and business owners.

Thailand is the first Southeast Asian country to legalise Cannabis for medical use in 2019.