With state-licensed marijuana sales months away, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill that prohibits smoking or consuming cannabis while driving or riding as a passenger in a vehicle in California.

The measure was written by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Leandro) in anticipation of the state’s Jan. 1 start of marijuana sales for recreational use. The new law makes a violation punishable with a $70 fine.

In proposing the law, Hill cited a 2012 study by the California Office of Traffic Safety that found more weekend nighttime drivers in California tested positive for marijuana than alcohol.

The governor vetoed another marijuana bill that would have barred marijuana packaging that might appeal to minors, such as wrappers that make edibles look like candy. Brown said his administration is already drafting rules to keep children away from marijuana.

© 2017 Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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