Fellow non-smoker to another, but with a very different experience.
Over a decade ago, I tried chewing tobacco. Definitely a stimulant, but of the relaxing variety. It’s like a shot of adrenaline but only on your brain and with no negative feeling side-effects. Or like eating an especially delicious gourmet hamburger that is both interesting in its complexity and relaxing at the same time.
The noticeably pleasant mental stimulation only lasted maybe 5 to 10 minutes but the impression was made. For the first year I would experience definite cravings for “trying it” again. I occasionally still do, despite never repeating the experiment.
The craving is almost entirely decoupled from the actual experience, even though I’m sure the direct experience caused the craving response to be etched on my brain.
I suspect the only reason I’m not a chainsmoker today is because tobacco is so distant from my routine, because no one in my circle of family and friends consumes it, and because it’s longterm negative effects are so well known. If any one of those conditions were not true, I’m relatively sure I’d battling that addiction today.
I deeply understand pursuing curiosity for curiosity’s sake...but especially in your case (given your environment), I think Pandora’s Box is best left shut. Count yourself lucky that such a passing and only mildly interesting high has never tickled your brain the right way, and stop your experiments.