Michael Encinas
I was there on day one of a dispensary grand opening in Los Angeles. I've spent years on the floor since — talking to real customers every single day. First-timers, veterans, patients, people from all over the world, all walking in with the same look: they don't know what they want, and they're hoping someone behind the counter does.
Most of the time, that someone was me. And I learned fast that a great recommendation isn't just about knowing cannabis — it's about knowing how to translate what a person actually needs into the right product. That takes time. That takes tools. Most dispensaries have neither.
I built Cannascenti because I lived this problem. Not from the outside — from behind the counter at Erba Sawtelle, one of LA's top dispensaries. Every feature on this platform exists because I needed it on the floor and it didn't exist anywhere else.
I've been you.
I'm not a tech founder who studied your industry from the outside. I know what it's like to have a line at the counter, a customer who can't decide, and a staff member who doesn't have the knowledge to close the sale. I know what actually works on the floor — because I'm still on it.
Cannascenti isn't a "cool AI tool." It's what I built because I was frustrated with not having it. If you run a dispensary and you want your customers to leave confident instead of confused, this was built for exactly that.
What we've built so far.
Mary Jane — AI cannabis guide trained on deep strain, terpene, and cannabinoid knowledge. She answers questions the way a great budtender would: directly, with an opinion.
Strain Finder — a 6-question quiz that matches customers to strains based on how they want to feel, not what's trending. 394 strains, 6 profiles, real recommendations.
Product Scanner — point your camera at any cannabis product and get a full intelligence briefing: terpenes, potency, dates, COA reference, and a strain comparison.
Budtender Pro — training quizzes and reference tools built for dispensary staff. Because knowledge on the floor directly affects the sale.
Encyclopedia — deep-dive reference covering strains, terpenes, cannabinoids, concentrates, edibles, and consumption methods.
Let's talk about your dispensary.
No pitch deck. No outside consultant. Just someone who's been on your floor — with a platform built to prove it.