Edibles vs Smoking

I've been smoking weed for almost a year now, however I've never had the chance to try an edible. Most dealers I know only sell bud and I don't have a medical card yet to go to a dispensary. However my cousin is getting some for me and her later this week. I've been blazed out of my mind before, especially with wax on several occasions. I recall being unable to stop laughing, feeling like I couldn't smoke more, and feeling so incredibly heavy and lazy while super stoned. How does eating an edible differ? How is it the same? How long does it last? And I'm getting a large amount of edibles to last me a few days or a week so what's the best way to store them?