ENCINITAS — Siesta Life, a new recreational cannabis dispensary, officially opened its doors Saturday as one of four businesses selected from over 200 applicants in a city-run lottery nearly two years ago.
Bertin Porcayo, owner of the shop at 1038 South Coast Highway near the corner of J Street, said the locally-owned and operated business strives to differentiate itself from the city’s two existing dispensaries, Wellgreens and The Cake House.
“We are focused on being the locals’ shop in Encinitas,” Porcayo said. “We’re all friends and family, the group that was able to put this together, and we have no corporate backing at all.”
The city’s fourth recreational cannabis storefront, owned by SGI Encinitas AP LLC, is slated for 1030 North Coast Highway near Le Papagayo restaurant in Leucadia.
The opening of Siesta Life is a part of the broader implementation of Measure H, approved by local voters in 2020, which allows for the sale, manufacture and cultivation of cannabis in Encinitas.
Following its passage, the Encinitas City Council adopted an ordinance consistent with the measure, and the California Coastal Commission later approved necessary amendments to the city’s Local Coastal Plan.
The selection process for cannabis retailers in Encinitas involved a lottery that gave preference to businesses with significant experience in the cannabis or pharmaceutical industries. All four winning businesses were selected from a pool of 171 applicants who met these criteria — and Siesta Life was chosen first.
“Out of all the applicants, we were chosen first in the lottery, which is pretty amazing, right? That’s like a less than 1% chance, you know,” Porcayo said.
A San Diego native who has been involved in the nightlife and music industries for nearly three decades, Porcayo said he and his team are focused on establishing themselves as a staple in the Encinitas community, blending their passion for music and cannabis under the Siesta Life brand.
“We’re here for the community,” he said. “Any medicinal cannabis knowledge that they’re looking for, we’re here for them and that’s the information we want to share with everyone.”
