Basically, I'm pretty wary of the adverse effects of drugs and becoming dependent on them. I've never done any, including drinking etc. But I'm curious about edibles, since it seems like there's barely any downsides, besides the risk of the edible itself being too potent(?).
Smoke first. Micro dose (in theiry) by smoking one or two draws, waiting 20 minutes, then reassessing
This si much! It's an awful idea to take edibles your first time because they can take 3 hours to kick in, last for half a day, and most importantly are a different drug - THC is metabolized to 11-hydroxy-THC when eaten, which gives different effects to D9-THC that you get from smoking. 11-HO-THC is more psychedelic, physical, and more terrifying if you overdo it.
When you smoke it, the most intense part only lasts about 30 minutes to an hour, so it's not as big of deal if you take too much. It will also have much less body load and potentially scary effects like racing heart.
Smoking or vaping bud for first time is absolutely the way to go.