Author: /u/LicksMackenzie

I’d like to imagine a future where all of these have been legalized in the six county area of Greater Houston. All three of these things have model cities that Houston could apply to its own legalization process. For Gambling: Las Vegas, For Marijuana: Denver, and for Prostitution: Amsterdam.

I think there would be a lot of benefits. They’d be at least one big casino, several brothels, and dozens of dispensaries, and a lot of the fallow land in the somewhat-not-prosperous rural areas around the city could be cultivated for cannabis. It would be a huge economic boon to have all three things in the same place, and it would really kickstart Houston’s tourism industry. Houston would also permanently probably become the ‘most well known’ or prestigious city in Texas. They would be a lot of extra benefits like increased construction, increased tax revenue, and a big boost to the other cultural amenities of the city due to increased patronage. In my mind’s eye, I see several professional European-style brothels helping to anchor the gentrification of EADO, and the big casino going in somewhere on the western or northwestern side of the city, like in Hockley, for proximity for the drivers from DFW and San-Austonia that would be driving in.

I also would support the city building or making a handful of large, live, gas flare sculptures that are visible and viewable from the highways near downtown, that are constantly flaring gas into a live flame. I really like the industrial-gritty-consumer-warehouse Bladerunner feel of the city, and I think legalizing these things would help really make the city funner, but also add A LOT to the local economy. In 5-15 years that extra influx of people and money would also make it more likely for an NHL franchise to move or be created here, as well as maybe a big 6-Flags style theme park to be built, too.

There are disadvantages too, though. A criminal element would gravitate towards Houston, but also traffic would go up, and infrastructure would also have to deal with the increased amount of people. I really like the mega-city feel of Houston, though, so I like urban sprawl, and the seemingly endless urban jungle.

What do people think? What would the disadvantages and advantages be?