Exploring Life & Business with Sensi Retail of Sensi Retail

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sensi Retail.

Hi Sensi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Owners Christopher Martinez and Pedro Ordoñez have close to 20 years of cannabis experience combined between the two of them. Christopher and Pedro began their Los Angeles cannabis journey in 2017, working through the complex regulatory shifts that shaped the California market. Today, Sensi is proudly 100% independently owned and operated—a fresh start after years of navigating industry shakeups and consolidation. The dispensary also proudly operates as a Los Angeles Social Equity licensee, reinforcing its roots in community empowerment and representation. Much of Sensi’s early success is due to the founders’ personal investment—both literally and physically. Pedro and Chris used their savings from previous endeavors to complete the current project and continue to fight for survival in the industry. “We did the buildout ourselves,” Christopher explained. “We put in 12- to 14-hour days, six to seven days a week. We were and still are part of the staff.” During the construction phase, we physically worked alongside our contractors to lower our cost. The shop has been opened for about a year and half now and a solid 80% of our customer base are our regulars and we feel very fortunate for that. Our goal to to ensure each customer leaves happy with their purchase and the confidence that they got more “bang for their buck.” We strive to becoming a staple in our community for reliable, safe, and consistent service.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Opening a legal cannabis retail shop in Los Angeles has been one of the most challenging experiences of my professional life. Being part of a new and evolving industry means constantly adapting to shifting rules and expectations, often with little clarity or consistency. Navigating the regulations has been especially tough, as many of them were still being written or amended while we were trying to build our business. Working with a newly formed city department that was rolling out its cannabis program for the first time added another layer of complexity, as both sides were learning and adjusting in real time. Access to capital was another major hurdle—traditional banks wouldn’t touch us, and finding investors who understood the long-term vision did not bear any fruit. On top of that, the overwhelming application fees and tax burden made it feel like we were being set up to fail before we even had a chance to get off the ground. One of the biggest struggles has been finding dependable people who genuinely share the same values and commitment to doing things the right way. It’s taken an incredible amount of resilience, patience, and belief in the bigger picture to keep pushing forward.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sensi Retail?
One of the newest cannabis shops to open in Los Angeles located at 3681 Crenshaw Blvd. We specialize in providing the best quality products for a affordable price to each type of customer whether it’s our flower smokers or edible enthusiasts. Aside from best pricing in town, we are also getting known for our customer service. Our goal is to make sure each of our customers leaves happy with their purchase. Part of the process to execute that is getting to know our customers and understand what they’re looking for. We do our best to combine our knowledge with their preferences to educate them on their options and guide them to their best possible purchase. We take pride in making every friend feel like they’re being guided by a close friend.

Pricing:

• Half Ounces range from $40-$110
• 8ths from $10-$60
• Ounces from $40-$150
• Taxes Included

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sensiretail.com
• Instagram: sensicrenshaw

Image Credits
Photos are ones we personally took