From BBB

BOSTON – Cannabidiol (CBD), an active ingredient of cannabis, is now legal in many US states and Canadian provinces.

The Better Business Bureau of Boston warns consumers to watch out for scams if they want to try the drug.

The BBB Scam Tracker has received dozens of reports from frustrated consumers who thought they signed up for a free trial offer but ended up getting billed for hundreds of dollars.

The scam starts when you see an ad for CBD on social media or in an online search. A company is offering samples of CBD oil. All you need to do is pay a couple dollars for shipping and handling, and you can try it for free. In some cases, the product is even endorsed by a celebrity. For example, recent Scam Tracker reports mention popular ministers Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen.

Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, if you order the “free” sample, the scammers now have your credit card number. As soon after you receive your sample – if you receive it at all – you are charged $80 to $100 for an ongoing monthly subscription.

Cancelling this subscription is not easy! Consumers report that scammers used numerous excuses to avoid issuing refunds. They claimed everything from trouble with the computer system to it being outside the cancellation window. Many victims also told Scam Tracker that the charges continued even after they cancelled their subscription.

“You don’t find out until 3 weeks later that you have signed up for a subscription and you are charged $99,” one victim reported to Scam Tracker. “They will not refund your money. They say you had 14 days to cancel (when you call them to complain) but there is no description of that on the website.”

To avoid this scam, start by researching the company online. See what other people are saying about the company’s free trials. Complaints from other customers can tip you off to “catches” that might come with the trial. Check the business’s BBB Rating and see if there are any alerts.

Understand what happens after the free trial ends. Always read the terms of the offer before signing up. Numerous victims of the CBD free trial con reported not ever seeing the terms and conditions. This is a huge red flag. If you can’t find them or can’t understand what you’re agreeing to, don’t sign up.

Be skeptical of celebrity endorsements. Resist being swayed by the use of a well-known name. Scammers often fake celebrity endorsements.

Report losses to credit card companies. If you pay with a credit card, you can dispute fraudulent charges. Keep an eye on your monthly statements and notify your credit card company of any suspicious charges.

Guest Essay

By Cynthia Chadwick-Granger

SACO – As I sit in my home looking across the living room, I cannot miss the large wooden sign leaning on the fireplace with large, beautiful green letters spelling the word “ HOPE”.

I had seen this decorative piece and fell in love with it.

I felt I needed to display it where I could see it everyday. It reminds me that is has been a very tough year for all of us who have survived, but even harder for those who have lost loved ones.

Yet, we all have something in common – “HOPE” – a desire for things to change for the better. And we want that “Better” very much!

So don’t feel hopeless and discouraged. Instead, encourage and inspire others to do acts of kindness. And remember to take deep breaths, look around you and take it all in.

Listen to your favorite music and dance if you want to.

It’s okay to say “Good morning” to a stranger… make someone smile!

Spend time with your children or a friend. Walk your dog. Hug your spouse or partner. Tell a story.

And always remember to laugh!

Most of all, never give up, for there is always “HOPE”, and I promise you that better days are coming . . .

Cynthia Chadwick-Granger is the marketing manager for Bay Area Title in Portland. She is also a wedding officiant at Vows for You by Cynthia. She can be reached at vowsforyou@maine.rr.com or 207-408-2329.

GORHAM – Sebago Brewing recently released their latest year-round beer called Pressed For Time.

This juicy IPA is their biggest release since Haze Forward, a modern take on the New England IPA that’s proven to be popular with Maine craft beer enthusiasts.

 Pressed For Time features Idaho7 and El Dorado hops, which give it strong citrus and peach aromas and flavors – and some sweet candy notes too, like orange fruit slices and peach gummy rings.

Sebago brewers have been fine-tuning the Pressed For Time hop blend in small batches to arrive at the perfect citrus and tropical fruit characteristics, although the beer doesn’t contain any fruit.

“We were really excited to use the Idaho7 hop in a beer that we could can and release at scale,” said Peter Dahlen, Sebago’s Director of Brewery Operations. “We’ve experimented with it a lot on our pilot system, and now with Pressed For Time we can offer it to everyone!”

Six-packs and cases of Pressed For Time are available at all Sebago locations and at stores. The new beer is also available on draft and in growlers to go at the brewpubs and the Tasting Room on Main Street in Gorham.

From JA

Maine – Local nonprofit and youth empowerment organization Junior Achievement of Maine (JA) has announced the statewide first and second place winners of the redeveloped JA Titan Challenge.

Heading into its 15th year hosting the business event, this spring, JA released a redeveloped Titan Challenge program with an enhanced user experience. Featuring 23 competing high schools, the simulation-based program asks high school students to compete as business CEOs in the phone industry, experiencing firsthand how an organization evaluates alternatives, makes decisions, analyzes the outcomes of those decisions, and then strategizes what to do next.

This year’s JA Titan Challenge was a brand-new user experience developed by a national design group. The more than 250 Maine high schoolers participating in the experience were the first in the nation to compete on the redeveloped competition platform.

The event took place virtually, connecting students from various high schools on two separate days of competition on April 7 and 9. Students participated in program modules leading up to the event.

This year’s first place winners are students from Yarmouth High School in Cumberland County. The team of Elliott (Zhi) Cowles, Owen Gillan, and Frazier Dougherty earned the title by strategically maneuvering their virtual business through three rounds of competition. Each student earned a $1000 post-secondary scholarship provided by Machias Savings Bank, as well as up to $10,000 in scholarships to attend Thomas College.

Henry Hebert, Blake Martin, and Rudy Quinonez, students from Van Buren High School in Aroostook County took second place, each earning a $500 scholarship sponsored by the MES Foundation.

Competing schools included:

Biddeford Regional Center of Technology

Brunswick High School

Calais High School

Cape Elizabeth High School

Caribou High School

Caribou Technology Center

Erskine Academy

Fort Kent High School

Freeport High School

Gardiner Area High School

Hodgdon High School

Jonesport-Beals High School

Messalonskee High School

Mountain Valley High School

Presque Isle Regional Career and Technical Center

Sanford High School

Sanford Regional Technical Center

Van Buren High School

Washington Academy

Westbrook High School

Westbrook Regional Vocational Center

Woodland Jr/Sr High School

Yarmouth High School

Junior Achievement of Maine (JA) is a youth empowerment organization that connects K-12 students with business volunteers across the state to facilitate hands-on programming about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy.

Each year, JA reaches thousands of young Mainers in their classrooms, helping them understand the role of education and work in their lives and preparing them for the future.

In response to evolving educator and student needs, JA has pivoted programming to digital formatting designed to keep students engaged and virtually connected with the real world around them.

From RFP

MONMOUTH – Royal Family Productions, a theatre company known for its innovative productions and development of new original work, will remount Chris Henry’s new adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales.

The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Match Girl, and The Princess and the Pea are part of an all-ages theatre piece titled Holy Hans, which will be presented at 1 p.m. on May 16 in Cumston Hall, 796 Main St, Monmouth.

After a sold-out performance in April, this two-person show returns, adapted and directed by Chris Henry with movement by Lorna Ventura. This presentation is specially adapted for a COVID-safe, socially-distant, limited-seating presentation, at the historic Cumston Hall in Monmouth, Maine.

Tickets are $20, with $100 preferred seating and $250 VIP tickets. Tickets must be purchased in advance by visiting www.RoyalFamilyProductions.org.