People who want to grow pot for the federal government may soon get the chance.

Health Canada's five-year, $5.75-million contract with its supplier of medicinal marijuana, Prairie Plant Systems, is winding down.

Health Canada plans to invite interested companies and individuals to submit bids for a pot-growing contract. It will then try to choose the one offering top quality and value for taxpayers. The process could result in Prairie Plant Systems or another supplier being selected.

About 280 patients receive the government pot, which Prairie Plant Systems grows in an unused section of a mine near Flin Flon, Man. Most patients buy 30-gram bags of ground plant buds for $150.