A Thank You to St. Pete — From Carlos Hermida and the Chillum Family

Sometimes the hardest business decisions have nothing to do with passion and everything to do with reality.

After a lot of thought, a lot of conversations, and a lot of number-crunching, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our Chillum St. Petersburg location, with our final day of operation being April 26th.

This isn’t a goodbye to our mission.
This isn’t a goodbye to our community.
And this definitely isn’t the end of Chillum.

It’s just a turning of the page.

Proud to Have Called St. Pete Home

From the moment we opened our doors on Central Avenue, we knew St. Pete was different. This is a city that embraces new ideas. A city willing to have uncomfortable conversations. A city full of artists, thinkers, healers, and people genuinely trying to make the world a little better.

We were proud to be part of that.

We were proud to participate in community events like Halloween on Central and St. Pete Pride, where we got to stand alongside other small businesses that believe culture moves forward when people are allowed to be themselves.

We were proud to create a space where people could ask questions about hemp, mushrooms, and plant medicines without feeling judged.

And most of all, we were proud of the education.

Because if there’s one thing Chillum has always been about, it’s education first.

Why We’re Closing

The truth is simple. Our lease is ending, and at this moment it just doesn’t make the best business sense to renew.

DON’T WORRY, THERE ISN’T SOME OUT OF STATE DEVELOPER RAISING OUR RENT!!!

There isn’t one single reason. Like most real business decisions, it’s a combination of factors:

• The economy has been tough on small businesses.
• There’s been a lot of sensationalized media coverage around hemp and emerging mushroom products.
• And honestly… some of what we’re doing may just be a little ahead of its time for this market.

And that’s okay.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this industry, it’s that being early sometimes looks exactly like being wrong — until suddenly you’re not.

We still believe in what we’re building. Our vision hasn’t changed.

What Happens Next

While the St. Pete storefront is closing, Chillum is not going anywhere.

Our Ybor City location remains open and we plan to stay part of Tampa’s historic district for as long as possible.

Learn Euphoria is also continuing to grow, both our education platform and our non-detect tryptamine product line. In many ways, this next chapter allows us to focus even more on what we believe matters most: education, access to information, and reducing stigma around natural plant and fungi compounds.

We are also actively looking for new partner locations in Tampa where we can continue hosting in-person workshops while continuing to expand our online courses nationwide.

Same mission.
Same philosophy.
Just evolving.

The Final Events — And Yes, We’re Going Out With a Bang

Before we close the doors, we still have some important events scheduled, and we intend to finish strong.

Our How to Grow Mushrooms workshops scheduled for the end of the month are still happening right here at the St. Pete store:
https://learneuphoria.com/product-category/in-person-workshops/

Education doesn’t stop just because a lease ends.

And then comes the big one…

Our nonprofit sister organization Suncoast NORML will be hosting Best Blunt of the Bay V at the St. Pete location:
https://www.suncoastnorml.org/event-details/best-blunt-of-the-bay-v

If you’ve ever been to one, you already know. If you haven’t… this is the one to come to.

We fully intend to go out with a bang.

Come See Us Before We Close

Over these last weeks, I’d really encourage anyone who has ever supported us to stop by.

Come say goodbye.
Come wish the team well.
Come tell your favorite hemptender to keep in touch.

Seriously… they built this community just as much as I did. They are my family and I will miss them so fucking much!

We’ll be doing some fun send-off specials too: $5 dabs

Try a microdose gummy
Hang out one last time in the space we built together

Not as a sale… but as a send-off.

Thank You For Letting Us Be Part of Your Story

St. Pete gave us more than just customers. It gave us conversations. It gave us friendships. It gave us proof that people are ready to learn when you just give them honest information instead of fear.

We’re sad to be leaving this location.

But we’re incredibly proud of what we built here.

And we’re even more proud knowing the conversations we helped start will continue long after our doors close.

This isn’t the end of Chillum.

We will continue our work in Tampa, especially in Ybor City, continuing our mission to educate, normalize, and reduce stigma around hemp, mushrooms, and natural plant medicines.

Because that mission was never about one storefront.

It was always about changing minds.

Thank you St. Pete.
You were good to us.

— Carlos Hermida
Founder, Chillum Mushroom & Hemp Dispensary
Learn Euphoria