Former truck garage approved for cannabis grow facility in Ocean Township
Ocean Township, NJ — A former truck maintenance facility off Route 9 in Ocean Township is set to become a cannabis cultivation center after the Ocean County Planning Board granted final site plan approval for the project submitted by JRSY Girl Growers, LLC.
The location is adjacent to the Cornerstone at Waretown townhouse development.
In 2022, the Ocean Township governing body approved the manufacturing of marijuana along Route 9 in the town’s redevelopment plan.
The approved plan calls for the renovation of an existing 11,124-square-foot building and a 5,226-square-foot addition, transforming the industrial space into an indoor cannabis grow operation with 33 parking spaces. Access to the site will be maintained through an existing easement on adjacent Lot 42.01.
The application came before the board with a request for a waiver from the requirement to submit a CAFRA Permit or Jurisdictional Determination letter from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In a letter dated June 26, 2025, project representative James Bash argued that the proposed use — strictly indoor cultivation with no manufacturing and no public access — falls below the CAFRA regulatory threshold, particularly since the site provides fewer than 50 parking spaces.
On a motion by Mr. Jehnke, seconded by Ms. McCrystal, and with Mr. Lotano abstaining, the board voted unanimously to accept the interpretation and grant the waiver. The project was given final approval with the only condition being submission of that documentation if later determined necessary.
The cannabis operation will not include dispensary sales or public access, focusing solely on indoor crop production in a repurposed facility that once housed heavy-duty truck servicing.
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Key Points
- Ocean County approved the conversion of a Route 9 truck garage into a cannabis cultivation site
- JRSY Girl Growers will operate an indoor grow facility with no public access or retail component
- The board granted a waiver from CAFRA requirements based on the project’s scope and use
A former truck shop is going green—literally—as Ocean Township clears the way for a cannabis farm.