The department shall make, or cause to be made, analyses, examinations, and inspections of all products, articles, compositions, or things included under this title whenever such analyses, inspections, or examinations are necessary to determine whether any of such products, articles, compositions, or things violate this title relating to the products, articles, compositions, or things in question, or violate any definition, standard, tolerance, rule, or regulation issued with regard to such products, articles, compositions, or things pursuant to any provision contained in this title. However, the state crime laboratory shall make or cause to be made, analysis, examination, inspection, or test of any product, article, composition, or thing at the request of any prosecutor, defense counsel, or law enforcement officer in the state of North Dakota when such analysis, examination, inspection, or test is made in connection with an investigation into violations of the criminal law of this state. A copy of any report issued by the department or the state crime laboratory, or electronically posted by the director of the state crime laboratory or the director’s designee on the crime laboratory information management system and certified by a law enforcement officer or individual who has authorized access to the crime laboratory information management system through the criminal justice data information sharing system, of the examination or analyses of any product, article, composition, or thing, duly authenticated by the person making the analysis or examination, when given under oath, is prima facie evidence in all courts of the matters and facts therein contained. The department may collect samples of any product, article, composition, or thing for the purpose of making analyses, inspections, and investigations in connection with research carried on by it and may publish the reports thereof for the information of the public.