Global glory

Houston named one of world’s 5 best places to visit in 2020

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston gets accolades in the story.

Photo courtesy The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Brenda Bazan, president and CEO of Space City cheerleader Houston First Corp., touts Houston as a “premier global destination.” Harper’s Bazaar magazine wholeheartedly agrees with her assessment.

Houston appears on the magazine’s December 30 list of the 20 best global destinations to visit in 2020. The only other U.S. locales to join this elite club are New York state and Puerto Rico. Other places sharing the spotlight include Antarctica, Austria, Brazil, Botswana, Israel, and Uruguay.

In lauding Houston, Harper’s Bazaar cites the city’s “well-deserved reputation for incredible eating.” In recent years, a number of publications have hailed Houston as a foodie paradise.

“If you’re a New Yorker, Angeleno, or Chicagoan currently rolling your eyes, trust us — you’ll be hard pressed to find better Vietnamese or Mexican cuisine anywhere else in America,” Harper’s Bazaar brags about Houston.

The accolades don’t stop there. Harper’s Bazaar also highlights the nearly completed redevelopment of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston campus; the upcoming debut of the Houston Botanic Garden; and the ongoing revitalization of the Houston Farmers Market. Furthermore, it mentions the massive expansion on tap for the Texas Medical Center — a project that Harper’s Bazaar says “is sure to encourage even more food, nightlife, and cultural newness for the city in the next decade.”

“In many ways, Houston is kind of like Dubai, using its wealth earned from the region’s natural assets to import high culture, like state-of-the-art museums [and] world-class performing arts centers,” the magazine notes. “It’s certainly worked for Dubai (you’ll find the emirate on many other ‘best of’ lists this season) … .”

All of this praise could help attract more visitors to Houston. In 2018, the area drew a record-setting 22.3 million visitors, according to Houston First. The 2019 figure isn’t available yet. Tourism boosters aim to raise Houston’s number of visitors to 25 million this year.

“I believe our city can compete with any city around the world when it comes to business and leisure travel,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared in April 2019.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

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