I am curious about the statement: "In California, Arizona, and the District of Columbia, local bar associations have penalized or advised against any non-lawye

I am curious about the statement: "In California, Arizona, and the District of Columbia, local bar associations have penalized or advised against any non-lawyer (or suspended lawyer) from appending “Esquire” to their names, as it may erroneously signal the capacity to practice law." If the title carries no legal weight how can a bar association "penalize" a non-lawyer for using it? I ask because I have a friend who is a lawyer and used to include "Esquire" in his email signature. As a jab at him I started doing the same in group emails and he (jokingly) suggested I could be pursued legally for using that title.