Cockeysville-based dispensary Chesacanna Enhanced Wellness is hosting a 420 scavenger hunt that will run until July 10. The event is open for medical and recreational Cannabis patients aged 21 and older to participate, and they can enter the sweepstakes through the company’s website.
Owner Marc Spataro said the scavenger hunt started on April 20 with the idea of extending it to another Cannabis holiday. Spataro also said that starting and ending the event on Cannabis holidays greatly benefits the patients who will be shopping on either day.
Growing up in Deep Creek and working in Ocean City for multiple seasons with his wife, Brenda, Spataro said the goal is to span the state with the scavenger hunt, with each location on the list having a unique relation to the state’s history and attractions; sites like Edgar Allan Poe’s gravesite or Oriole Park at Camden Yards have brought visitors in from beyond the state lines.
“We have this great state that is small but has just about every ecological or historical factor,” he said. “If I were a customer and I got together with a group of my friends to do this, I think it would be a blast.”
The idea behind the Delta-9 Airlines Flight 420 concept came from a member of Chesacanna’s marketing team, Mark Wollenweber. Wollenweber said the idea is to give the scavenger hunt a unique look that combines Cannabis, travel and a representation of the state of Maryland, which goes hand-in-hand with Spataro’s vision for contestants traveling all around the state to complete the challenge. Wollenweber also said the logo was inspired by the film “Top Gun” and US Aviation Academy.
Spataro said he hopes the scavenger hunt will give its contestants an awareness of the many beautiful sights and deep history of the state, but also hopes to change up how the scavenger hunt is done in the future if it proves to be a success.
“That’s the great thing about Maryland,” Spataro said. “There’s so much value to what it has to offer with these different points of interest.”
While he’s proud to have had a part in the state’s Cannabis industry from the beginning, Spataro said being able to own and promote not only his business but other local businesses feels fulfilling to him, adding that some of the communities occupying the historical sites that contestants visit on the scavenger hunt followed the same gesture.
“That’s what community is all about, it’s about supporting one another and helping one another grow and be successful,” he said. “To be able to create something around our state and have Cannabis involved is pretty cool, that’s the way I look at it.”
The rules for the scavenger hunt are simple: contestants will travel across Maryland to visit the 10 locations listed on the Chesacanna website, with two bonus locations added as an extra challenge. Once there, they will take a photo of themselves wearing the official 2024 Chesacanna 420 t-shirt while visibly showing their Delta-9 Airlines Flight 420 boarding pass brochure. Once a photo has been taken at every location, the contestant is required to submit all of their photos and contact information to the Photo Contest submissions form or through the QR code on their brochure.
The grand prize winner will be awarded $1,000 worth of Chesacanna store credit, a grow facility tour, a glass water pipe, and an accessories kit with a Delta-9 Airlines shirt and vendor merchandise. Additionally, if both bonus destinations are completed, the grand prize winner will receive a $250 gift certificate to The Local Restaurant in White Marsh, MD.
A second-place prize includes $500 worth of store credit, a processing facility tour, a glass bowl and an accessories kit with merchandise. Third-place prizes include $250 in store credit and Delta-9 Airlines merchandise.
Contestants can also tag the store on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #ChesacannaScavengerHunt, in addition to submitting their photos for a chance to win the Social Media prize – a 2,000 bonus loyalty points added to their store account.
“People will do smaller scavenger hunts, but this is a pretty big scale,” said Marissa Genovese, the marketing manager at Chesacanna. “We understand that we’re asking a lot, but the prizes are definitely a lot.”
The winners of the scavenger hunt will be announced on July 17. Patients who still want to participate can stop by Chesacanna to pick up a 420 t-shirt and brochure until July 10.
