‘Marijuana Minutes,’ a Science-Fiction Comedy, Prepares for its Debut

A filmmaker from New Jersey is preparing for audiences to see his first feature-length project.

“Marijuana Minutes,” a science-fiction comedy, has been selected for film festivals in New York and Michigan, with further screenings planned across the country.

The film follows Amy, a stoner who discovers her new marijuana pen allows her to travel back in time. However, this causes her to be pursued by the pen’s original owners, who want it back. Starring in the film are Becca DeMarco, Sophia Parola, and Jared Cardenas.

“Marijuana Minutes” is the feature-length directorial debut of Ryan D. Moore, who also wrote the script and plays a supporting role in the film. Involved in making movies since high school, Moore studied filmmaking at Montclair State University and holds a master’s degree in screenwriting. He currently works for the Montclair Film Festival and also teaches screenwriting classes.

“I shared the script with my screenwriting group,” he said. “You never know how something is going to go over until you do a reading. This went over really well with the group and everyone was super into it, to the point where people were asking what they could do to help this get made. So I kind of just jumped on it.

Production on the film began in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a tumultuous experience,” Moore said. “We started it in early March 2020, so you can guess what happened there.”

Filming took place in Monmouth County, New Jersey and was completed by the late summer of 2020.

Prior to the film festivals, “Marijuana Minutes” will be privately screened in Monmouth County for those who worked on and supported the film.

“We’re excited to finally get a big audience to see it,” Moore said. “Only a handful of people have seen it. We’re excited to have a screening where the film was made and looking forward to that kicking off our festival run.”

Details about the public screenings have not yet been released, but the film is expected to be shown by July at the latest.