British Columbia is seeking approval from Ottawa to become the first province where possession of small amounts of illicit drugs is not a criminal offence.Sheila Malcolmson, the province’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, inquired last week about a provincewide exemption from federal drug laws to remove criminal penalties for people possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use.In a letter to Health Minister Patty Hajdu on Feb. 3, which was obtained by The Globe and Mail, Ms. Malcolmson said the change would help the province respond to a worsening overdose crisis that has...…British Columbia is seeking approval from Ottawa to become the first province where possession of small amounts of illicit drugs is not a criminal offence.Sheila Malcolmson, the province’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, inquired last week about a provincewide exemption from federal drug laws to remove criminal penalties for people possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use.In a letter to Health Minister Patty Hajdu on Feb. 3, which was obtained by The Globe and Mail, Ms. Malcolmson said the change would help the province respond to a worsening overdose crisis that has...WW…