Patrick Gower is urging Kiwi families to get around their TVs for his final On Weed documentary on Monday night, vowing it will "blow people's minds" and help inform voters ahead of next month's cannabis referendum.
The third instalment of the Newshub's National Correspondent series on cannabis in New Zealand airs at 8:30pm on Three.
The documentary sees Gower cover new territory as he attends a weed dinner party, speaks to a group of school children about his first experience smoking cannabis and tracks down the most potent cannabis ever seen in New Zealand.
In an interview with The AM Show on Monday morning, Gower said he felt the pressure to deliver a high-quality programme because the referendum has the power to "really change things for a lot of people".
"I don't care how they vote, but I want Kiwis to inform themselves," he said.
"I feel the pressure giving the information tonight and I want Kiwis to get around their television set; let the kids stay up late because this is going to affect them; get nana and grandad around, let them watch it.
"If you're already in the 'no' camp - some people are fixated on 'no' - there's still time to change your mind after watching this and learning what a 'yes' vote could do."
Gower says On Weed will expose the incredible sophistication and massive scale of New Zealand's illicit cannabis market.
And the time he's spent with the country's best growers, manufacturers and dealers has convinced him it's a market that won't go away, even if Kiwis vote against legalisation at the referendum.
"They [the police] will never shut down cannabis in New Zealand - never, ever. You would require billions and billions of dollars in investment to stop this," he said.
"I've spent time with some of the best growers, dealers, and manufacturers of cannabis… This stuff is here and here to stay. It's a sophisticated market that's already operating - it's just not taxed."
One of these manufacturers has created the strongest weed product ever seen in New Zealand, confirmed by Environmental Science and Research (ESR), our Crown research institute.
"I think it'll blow people's minds; not just those who use cannabis, [but] I think the police will be interested in this as well - they will have never seen cannabis this strong."
Gower also takes weed samples from growers all over New Zealand, which are tested by ESR to show just how potent the ganja Kiwis have been smoking really is, and whether it would be below the limit should cannabis be legalised.
Patrick Gower: On Weed airs on Monday night at 8:30pm on Three.
