Highs are extremely intense

Try smoking a bowl without loading it....obviously not with a clean bowl and only one hit at first.

 

Perhaps you need to find strains with different sativa/indica dominance. Too much of either could be to blame. Vaping it in small amounts bit by bit may also allow you to very gradually get to the high you want to achieve.

 

You might need way less weed then. I remember when I first started smoking (I've told this story before so I'll leave out the details), the first time I smoked alone I accidentally pissed all over the bathroom floor and spent a good chunk of time laughing my ass off and wiping it up with toilet paper. I spent the rest of the night thinking I could feel the full force of earth's rotation. That was from a spliff with about .2g in it.. It will get easier to judge how much you can smoke as you build tolerance, but if you're not enjoying how it's affecting you, that isn't going to help you for the time being. (Kind of edit: Because you use edibles, this might not be the problem at all)

If they weren't generally expensive, I'd recommend a vaporizer so you can take tiny hits until you feel like you're in a good place, but short of that (I know this is going to sound counter productive) you may want to smoke "shittier" weed. Not dirty nasty street schwag, but something that won't knock you on your ass. (I've also found lightly vaped bud which is still a greenish color to have a much more relaxing affect on the body, so if you have a friend that vapes, you could ask them to lightly cook a bowl so you can try that)

As for your edit, you process the good stuff slower than when smoking, as smoking is the quickest way (That I know of) to get almost any substance to the brain. Edibles also tend to produce more of a body buzz, so you might want to try an indica to get a more familiar feeling.

Other than that, if smoking isn't treating you right, it might not be for you. Everyone reacts a little differently to getting high, especially early on. Don't give up if you don't want to, but don't put pressure on yourself. I hope this was at least a little helpful.

 

Easy fix. Stop smoking when you feel it and are enjoying your high. If that takes one hit, then stop at one hit.

 

That. And don't have anxiety or paranoid thoughts during your first few smoking times.

Stay lifted, and stay positive

 

Get a bat or other one hitter. That will help you limit your intake of weed. Also, being in Cali, if you're a medical patient or getting weed from someone who is, stick with sativa or hybrids that are 17% THC or less for now. Also, to answer the last question in your post, there is a difference in the way that the body processes THC when you smoke it or eat it. Since you like the edible high, you may want to just stick with that. Learn to make edibles, butters and tinctures. The person who can do that well and consistently is usually never at a loss for weed as so many people will want you to make it for them.