How safe is the Clear Lake area, and also Houston in general?

I recently got a remote job which means I can easily move to a nice apartment in a city I can afford. I am coming from San Diego, CA and I'd be living by myself. I have an apartment picked out and I will potentially move in April.

How safe is the Clear Lake area near the Space Center? Any recommendations of places to visit near the area? Things to know as a newbie from out of state? What's the difference on cannabis laws? What are some of the areas that I should be avoiding for running errands and such?

There's a lot of mentions about crime and that makes me nervous, since it's a 1,500 mile move… but if crime is not that bad then Houston does sound like a paradise.