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Industry Blazers is a periodic Q&A that spotlights Arizona’s talented medical marijuana professionals who influence and grow the industry. Brought to you by a collaboration between AZmarijuana.com and Proven Media. Do you know someone that is an Industry Blazer in Arizona? If so, email us their name and contact info.
Dustin Klein | Owner & Co-Founder of Sun Valley MMJ Certification Clinic
Dustin Klein has a long history of witnessing and advocating the benefits of medical marijuana. He became an advocate after dealing with his own psoriatic arthritis during college while living in Colorado and got his first medical card in 2005. This fire to advocate was stoked further by the loss of both parents within 18 months of each other to pancreatic cancer and ALS. Although both diseases have numerous clinical trials with demonstrated benefits using marijuana treatments, Dustin’s parents unfortunately never consented to try it.
Dustin and his wife Andrea opened Sun Valley MMJ Certification Clinic to help patients like his parents. Using money saved for their honeymoon, Andrea’s vast experience in managing medical practices and their passion to help others, they opened their first clinic in 2013.
Sun Valley currently has five locations in Arizona, one in Nevada, one in Florida and online operations in California and New York. Sun Valley is the only legitimate, federally-filed franchise model in the marijuana industry. All of this happened in just four short years!
Website: svmmjcc.com
Q & A with Dustin Klein
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement in life is being the best husband and father I can be! It’s cliché, but true. Nothing has brought me more joy than parenthood.
What is your greatest fear?
I fear as the industry grows, the medical patients who grew the entire industry will be left behind to suffer with less access to medication. We have already seen many recreational states turning their backs to the medical programs and their patients. Prices for medical patients in recreational states are increasing and medical access is decreasing.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m a classically-trained theatre actor and I usually speak in any environment like I’m on stage speaking to thousands of people. I’m loud, LOL! Many think I sound like I’m always angry, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. I just have a strong speaking voice.
What do you most value in your friends?
In all relationships I value open, honest self-realization. I gravitate to people who spend less time impressing others and more time helping others. The people I consider dear friends are compassionate to all, have a clear understanding of who they are and what they are passionate about. They are making a living executing their passions!
