ANKARA 

Thailand has allowed use of marijuana to be used in medication, local media reported.

The Southeast Asian country's Health Ministry approved 17 medical formulas that would contain marijuana for local health hospitals, the Nation daily reported.

Dr. Marut Jirasrattasiri, who leads the Thai Alternative Medicine Department, said: "More than 60,000 people are now interested in receiving medical marijuana treatment in state public health facilities nationwide."

The government has allowed 152 hospitals to "expand the cultivation of cannabis plants for medical use," setting a treatment target of about 15,200 people.

The use of marijuana for medicinal treatment has been widely debated by governments across the globe.